Local students build character, participate in summer Leadership Academy

Local students build character, participate in summer Leadership Academy

"This is not just another summer program. We are molding leaders that will impact our community and the world," said Claiborne County Administrator Brenda Buck.

From June 23 to July 8, 47 eleventh and twelfth grade students from Port Gibson High School participated in the Claiborne County Youth Leadership Academy. This was the second year for the program.

During the program, students learned the importance of being involved in their communities, acquired attributes to make them effective leaders in the future, learned job interviewing skills, and got a preview of what to expect in their transition from high school to college.

"In the Academy I learned skills that will help me in future leadership roles," shared senior Jonese Goings. "It also made me more aware of the problems in my community and how important it is to address and find ways to fix them."

Kevin James, also a senior, added, "This program helped me to improve my communication and leadership skills. I also learned how crucial teamwork is to achieving goals. Working together, I believe that we can make positive changes that will restore Port Gibson to its historical state."

"It is important to provide meaningful summer experiences for our youth, and the participants did an exceptional job developing solutions to improve our county from fixing potholes, repurposing abandoned properties, summer development programs for youth, and more. Their feedback showed that they are concerned and invested in what becomes of their community," said Buck.

The Academy was co-sponsored by Alcorn State University and funded by the Claiborne County Board of Supervisors. "I want to thank the Board and Alcorn for their collaboration in ensuring that activities would enhance the capacity of our future leaders," added Buck.