Rep. Graves’ third-annual Youth Leadership Summit attracts 250 students
Nearly 250 students participated in Rep. Tom Graves’ ( R-GA-14) third annual Youth Leadership Summit in Calhoun last Thursday. The students were high school juniors and seniors from 25 schools across the 14th Congressional District, each of whom was recommended for attendance by their teachers and school administrators.
As these students prepare to enter higher education or the workforce, the conference provided them with an opportunity to learn from and engage with Georgia leaders who represent industries ranging from the energy sector to social media startups.
Besides Rep. Graves, this year’s speakers included Lauren Claffey, Executive and Internal Communications Director at Southern Company; Caleb Beavers, student at the University of Michigan and Youth Leadership Summit alumni; Phillip Edge, Senior Manager of Learning Solutions at Sodexo; and Blake Canterbury, founder of Purposity.com.
“You are here today because someone, somewhere at your school, saw something just a little bit different in you,” said Rep. Graves. “We believe in you and we want to invest in you.”
Likewise, the first guest speaker, Lauren Claffey, encouraged students to believe in themselves and find what they love. She urged the students not to fear failure, but cautioned “once you figure out what you love, you have to hustle.”
Caleb Beavers, a junior at the University of Michigan who attended Rep. Graves’ first Youth Leadership Summit, advised students to challenge themselves when they transition out of high school and into the workforce or college. “To expand your comfort zone, you have to get out of your comfort zone,” he noted. “The most rewarding path is the one that takes you out of your bubble.”
Phillip Edge spoke to the students about their “Limitless Potential.” In his energetic presentation, he drove home the importance of taking action, declaring “the knowledge you receive is nothing until you activate it.”
He concluded by challenging the students: “Everything you need you already have...What are you going to do to unlock your potential?”
Next, Kate Hewitt, Director of Programs and Operations at 21st Century Leaders, gave a brief presentation on opportunities her organization offers and encouraged the students to get involved. 21st Century Leaders connects high school students with successful professionals, who hope to inspire young people to seek leadership roles in business and in their communities.
Young entrepreneur Blake Canterbury was the event’s final guest speaker. He described his experience creating successful companies that leverage social media to meet community needs. He told the students, “Purpose is rooted in doing good for other people.”
Sitting with young folks from other schools, students were encouraged to meet new people and expand their networks. And, unlike most classroom settings, students were encouraged to use their cell phones to take photos, tweet and post on social media sites. The event, which was livestreamed on Facebook Live, generated significant engagement on social media under the hashtag #GA14YLS.
Students left the event inspired by what they heard. “Our entire attending student body gathered a tremendous amount of information from all of the speakers and did nothing but talk about the entire day on the way back home as well as the following day,” said Dr. William Lanford, an instructor at Morris Innovative School in Dalton. “I cannot wait to hear further and more detailed discussions from this event.”
There were also four student ambassadors from Sonoraville and Gordon Central High Schools’ chapters of Future Business Leaders of America. Volunteering to help with the execution of the event, these students arrived early to set up, helped throughout the event and stayed late to clean up, ensuring the venue was left in great condition.