R.Y.L.A. Camp presented to Rotary

This camp was founded for the sole purpose of training our young people to be team players and positive leaders in the future. Each year the participants return saying their lives have been changed for the better and that they have met new friends for life. Often the presentations they make to the Club explaining their experiences are very emotional. This year was no different.

Diane Johnson Collard, the Rotary sponsor, started her presentation by saying, "Selecting winners for the RYLA scholarship is always a challenge because so many kids deserve to go, yet there are only three spots allotted to our club."

This year’s winners of the three available slots were Jordan Kane and Brittany Hays of Waxahachie High and Levi Villareal from Global High School. All three of these students have shown outstanding scholastic abilities and leadership abilities during their school careers.

Jordan Kane repeated the statement that her life goal had changed with the experience. She observed that experiences became more personal and private as the week wore on and the campers got to know each other. They learned that they are not the only one with abilities and they had to work together to achieve goals. Some of the quietest people had the best ideas.

Levi noted that the atmosphere at RYLA is unlike anything he had experienced. The spirit and energy from the campers is almost tangible. Everyone supported each other even in failure and helped to work through situations. This led the campers to try things they would not have considered before – truly a developmental experience. He also noted a growing familiarity during the week as experiences deepened.　

All three students were very grateful for the experience and know how important it has been for their lives. The Rotary Club is pleased to be able to send these excellent students to camp RYLA. The scholarships are valued at $650 each, so it is indeed a special award.

This is just one of many community services that the Rotary Club offers our city. Working with WISD to make sure our children have the best education and the best opportunities is one of the club‘s first priorities.

For more information about the Rotary Club of Waxahachie where we believe in Service above Self and doing things as a club we cannot do alone, visit the club web site www.waxahachierotary.org . You can find your Flag Subscription applications there