Olivia Ortega, a sophomore at San Manuel High School, spoke to the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary about her experiences at RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards.
Patti R. Albaugh
Olivia Ortega, a sophomore at San Manuel High School, spoke to the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary about her experiences at RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards), a District 5500 (southern Arizona) sponsored event held at Chapel Rock in Prescott. RYLA is an intensive four-day workshop for youth ages 14 to 17 in grades 9 through 11. These young adults are chosen for their leadership potential to attend an all-expense-paid training program designed to build, strengthen and exercise leadership skills used in all aspects of business, community, school and life.
Ms. Ortega gave an outstanding overview of her days at RYLA. Upon their arrival they were asked to give their names and three facts about themselves. Even choosing which three facts to give was an exercise in leadership skills. What was important for these strangers to know about them? They were then sent to cabins where teams were set up. She described it as being thrown into a pool and told to swim a “free fall.” Approximately 90 students attended the event.
Group activities were problem solving, sharing experiences, team building, vocalizing, accepting failures and unity. One of RYLA’s goals is to help students step out of their comfort zone both physically and emotionally. Students were brave enough to try the ropes course and take a leap of faith. They also participated in wall climbing and zip lining.
RYLA also promotes learning to work with others from diverse backgrounds to solve problems and achieve common goals. Olivia met Rotary Exchange students from Italy, Brazil, Denmark, Czechoslovakia, France and Africa. She is still communicating with many of them through social media.
This is the second year that SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary has sponsored a RYLA student. A website details information about applying to be a RYLA delegate at https://www.rylad5500.org/apply.
Members of the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club make contributions of time and money to assist those within our community and over the world. Won’t you join us? We meet every Thursday at 8:00 a.m. at the MountainView Country Club. Please contact Membership Chair Mark Douglas at [email protected].