When students from Manheim Central High School attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) earlier this summer, they took away lessons on leadership that will last a lifetime.

"My biggest takeaway from RYLA was that leadership requires strong emotional intelligence and the ability to love and care for those who you influence in your life," said Silas Mitchell. "Leaders recognize what their followers need, and they ensure that all individuals in their group are heard, loved and appreciated. Loving relentlessly is a necessity for all leaders."

Four students, all members of the school's Interact Club, attended the conference held at Messiah University in June. The event brought together more than 100 student leaders from southcentral Pennsylvania. Along with Silas, the Manheim Central group comprised Maren Rossiter, Mark Stalter and Kelton Wenger. They were accompanied by Interact advisers Amy Burdyn, Andrew Hollinger and LuAnn Wise.

Maren was awarded the William E. and Violet W. Nitrauer Leadership Award, presented to the top attendee at the conference, voted by all staff and students in attendance. It came with a scholarship of $750.

"RYLA benefited me by teaching me new strategies and activities to bring back to Manheim clubs and sports to be a better leader," Maren remarked. "We were taught the five verbs of a good leader, how to listen to others, to talk clearly. I will use these to make any club I am in a more positive and inviting community."

Mark noted that leadership takes many forms, and that leadership is not just a position, but a way of acting.

"People lead by influencing others," he shared. "So even the simplest ways of taking initiative can make someone a leader even if they are not in a 'leadership position.'"

Kelton said he learned the value of quiet leadership.

"My biggest takeaway is that the loudest person in the room is not always the leader, but a leader is someone who creates change through integrity and commitment," he said. "RYLA benefited me by allowing me to better understand what a leader is and also giving me the chance to network with other motivated peers in the Rotary district."

The conference included career seminars from experienced professionals, as well as opportunities for fun and fellowship through sports, board games and other group events.

Maren noted that her biggest takeaway from the conference came from one of the speakers, Zane Gizzi, and what he told students on the first day of the event.

"Many people don't consider themselves leaders because they aren't in front of the class telling everyone what to do," she recalled. "They just do their own thing, making a difference along the way, little by little."

She was especially moved by a story the speaker shared about a little girl on a beach trying to save starfish after a hurricane.

"This little girl was never going to pick up every single starfish, but she claimed as she threw one in, 'It mattered to this one,'" Maren said. "Leadership doesn't have to impact large numbers of people; it can impact one person and then influence them to do better."

Students attended the RYLA conference with support from the Rotary Club of Manheim, which fully funds the trip for high school juniors to develop their leadership skills and potential.

"We are grateful for the generosity of the Manheim Rotary for making experiences like this possible," Burdyn said. "Every year, our students beam as they reflect on their personal growth and the meaningful friendships they have built throughout the rich RYLA experience."

Maren encouraged other students to consider attending the conference, adding that her experience highlighted the Rotary's own motto.

"You will make unbreakable friendships, have funny, silly moments and just learn who you are as a leader and how to be the best you!" she said. "Most importantly, you will learn how to love endlessly and put 'service above self.'"

For more information on RYLA, visit https://rotary7390.org/page/ryla.