During spring break this year, I attended a 4-day camp called RYLA, short for Rotary Youth Leadership Award. RYLA South is essentially a leadership training camp for people in Grades 10-12 year who have been sponsored by the Rotary Club.
The Rotary Club is an international organization dedicated to making the world a better place through community service. During these four days, I attended lectures, participated in several group activities to strengthen teamwork, and tried many new and exciting things.
This camp really expanded my horizons, as I got to learn a lot about leadership, and meet and bond with new people. I really felt like I could be myself in this safe environment, and try things that I would not have usually tried.
Thanks to this experience, I was able to learn about service opportunities such as the Interact Club and its annual service projects, and become further involved in the Rotary Club community. I would definitely encourage students in Grades 9-11 this year to apply to attend RYLA next year as this experience was an amazing one for me.
Nicole W.