Students experience Rotary youth leadership conference

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is a leadership program coordinated by Rotary clubs around the globe. Each year, thousands of young people are chosen to participate in this highly selective program, and Groton High School (GHS) was fortunate enough to have three of its Class of 2023 students attend the RYLA conference, held at SUNY Oneonta June 26 through 29.

With joint sponsorship from the Groton Rotary Club and GHS, Mathias Brehm, Braedy Dilger and Julia Ramey participated in this world-renowned program that fosters leadership skills, problem solving and conflict management, building self-confidence and self-esteem, elements of community and global citizenship, and much more.

Babs Carr, the Early College High School coordinator and STEAM College and Career Prep teacher at GHS, is also the advisor for the Interact Club, GHS’s student club that partners with Groton Rotary Club for community service. She explained the process for selecting students for RYLA.

“Students are selected by filling out an application and then they have to be interviewed,” Carr said. “A committee selects the top one or two students, and the rest become alternates if they fit the criteria for going to the leadership conference.”

Carr, along with GHS counselor Kerin Schmid, GHS Associate Principal Andrew Doane and Groton Rotary President Nasar Khan, made up the interview committee, and all three students were thrilled to be selected.

Brehm said he was “excited but nervous” and that “the food was delicious!”

Dilger said he was “grateful to be selected but also optimistic about the opportunity and what it might hold for me — like what lessons I might learn.”

“I felt ecstatic to have a new opportunity to experience new things and meet so many amazing new people,” Ramey said.

Dilger said he knew going in that some of the focus of the conference was for the students to learn about what a college experience would be like. He admitted he was a bit nervous about leaving home not knowing what would happen.

All three have been very involved at GHS. Thus, they know what being an active part of a student body is like.

Brehm is a member of the drama club and the French club and was one of 17 students who traveled to France this past April with the club. Dilger is part of the Liberty Partnership Program, has been on the honor roll and high honor roll this past year, and is a member of the drama club and Student Council. Ramey is a bassoon player in the GHS band and president of the Tri-M society and has been on high honor roll for her entire high school career thus far.

Despite all that, the three had experiences at RYLA that they had not expected, and all expressed how fortunate they felt to be able to go.

Altogether, there were 65 students from the Rotary district who attended, and all had to arrive with their own bed linens, towels and other items typical of college dorm life — just as they will need to do in the future should college be a path they choose.

“I knew it would be on a college campus,” Brehm said. “But the food was better than I thought it would be.”

Dilger said it was an incredible experience, where he felt like he was surrounded by kindhearted and insightful people, and that all 65 of them, as well as the counselors on staff, became fast friends.

“At RYLA, I was welcomed completely,” Ramey said. “By the end of the first day, we all were already very familiar with each other, and by the end of the conference, I had made so many amazing friends and had so many new opportunities granted and sponsored by the Groton Rotary Club!”

A typical day for the students involved breakfast, lunch and dinner, interspersed with presentations on numerous topics such as mental health, leadership and inspirational stories about teamwork and meetings in small groups for team-building exercises.

Other activities were a talent show, a blacklight dance and interest groups. Ironically, the social media group that Brehm was in was led by Bernie McDermott, who Brehm learned was a former GHS principal back in the day.

Their final day ended with a closing ceremony with slideshows from their week, talks given by the public speaking interest group — one of which was given by Dilger — and the presentation of awards and certificates.

With their senior year still ahead of them, Brehm’s plan after graduation is uncertain as to whether he will attend college or join the work force, but he does know he plans to pursue a career in the information technology (IT) field.

Dilger definitely plans to attend college to major in film and minor in theater with the intent to become a film director, and Ramey plans to attend Binghamton University to become a biomedical engineer.

Regardless of what their final year at GHS will bring, these three students have been impacted by RYLA in ways they will never forget.

“It may have only been four days, but it felt like longer,” Brehm said. “It was a very unique experience that I hope a lot of other people can experience in their future.”

Dilger said, “It was impactful and beautiful — just the feeling of complete strangers bonding the way we did in four days or less!”

“This opportunity has made me incredibly grateful to have been given this time; it’s an experience I’ll never forget,” Ramey said. “A special thank-you to the Groton Rotary Club for sponsoring me, and thank you to Mrs. Carr and Ms. Schmid for making this possible!”

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@VizellaMedia.com or text or call Linda at (607) 227-4922.  

In brief: 
 
Groton alumni annual reunion 

It’s not too late to plan to attend the 25th year of Groton High School’s annual All-Class Reunion on Aug. 6 at the Groton Rod & Gun Club.

Check-in is at noon, with fun and events happening all day until 7 p.m. A meal will be served at 2 p.m. consisting of chicken barbecue, salt potatoes, macaroni salad, baked beans, Hofmann white hots, cookies and brownies. For those who have not preregistered, the cost is $30 per person at the event.

For more information about how to register or other inquiries, contact any Groton Alumni Association officer:
– President Betty (Tompkins) Conger, Class of 1960, conger.betty@gmail.com or (607) 898-3990;
– Vice President Phyllis (King) Boyden, Class of 1968, randpboyden@gmail.com or (607) 838-3410;
– Co-treasurers Mary Meeker, Class of 1975, hiker5741@gmail.com, or Nanette (Metzgar) Farkas, Class of 1975,nan.farkas1@gmail.com; or
– Secretary Rosemarie (Palmer) Tucker, Class of 1966, roseingroton@gmail.com or (607) 280-3322.

Groton Olde Home Days 

Save the date for Groton Olde Home Days, coming your way Aug. 25 through 27 with Playland Amusements Carnival Midway, magic shows, pony rides, food, vendors, live music, the classic car show, Groton Historical Association’s famous crafts and collectibles show, the grand parade and so much more! Keep your eye on this column for more details in the coming weeks.

Free youth farmers market  

Bring your bag and join Groton Youth Services and Groton Harvest every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Groton Memorial Park on Sykes Street, near the entrance to the pool, for the free youth farmers market. A great selection of fruits and vegetables will be available for you to choose from through Aug. 9.