Scholarships, ‘salute’ go to young leaders

CEDAR RAPIDS — More than 150 Eastern Iowa high school seniors gathered in Cedar Rapids in mid-September for leadership training and a recognition ceremony hosted by the Greater Cedar Rapids Area Council on Youth Leadership.

The 161 students, nominated by their schools for the program based on their high scholastic average and demonstrated leadership ability, met for two days of “Youth Salute” interactive leadership training at Mount Mercy University.

The training wrapped up with a scholarship awards presentation Sept. 18 at Sinclair Auditorium on the Coe College campus.

Forty-two scholarships were awarded, ranging from $100 to $5,000. The top awards went to Tayva Fortune of Kennedy High School and Andrew AbouAssaly of Linn-Mar High School.

Fortune received the $5,000 Jamie Harder Outstanding Youth Leader of the Year Award. AbouAssaly received the $5,000 Lura McBride Outstanding Youth Leader of the Year Award.

Other top scholarship winners were Maya Carrizales of Prairie High School and Josiah Wickum of Cedar Rapids Washington High School, who each received the $1,000 Kocourek Foundation Leader in Excellence Award; Gracie Hennings, Liberty High School, $1,000 Lil’ Drug Store Products Leader in Excellence Award; and Lawson Berndt, Marion High School, $1,000 Transamerica/AEGON Leader in Excellence Award.

The six students also receive an all-expense-paid trip to the Global Leadership Connection Leadership Experience in Washington, D.C.

Eight other leadership award winners received an all-expense-paid trip to the National Town Meeting on Tomorrow, in partnership with St. Louis University, in St. Louis, Mo.

Sponsors said both conferences connect local young leaders with other young leaders from across the country and also allow them to interact with company presidents, industry leaders and government officials.

Founding

Carole Harder founded the Greater Cedar Rapids Area Council on Youth Leadership, a nonprofit, in 1981 “to recognize and foster high ideals of leadership and integrity among the youth of America.”

Students complete an application and essay, sit for a personal interview and meet other young leaders during the September leadership training.

“Building relationships with like-minded peers is a focus of the Youth Salute,” Harder said.

“Meeting these incredible youth leaders brings hope for our future,” she said. “Our main goal is to recognize them for all of their efforts and the positive impact they are leaving in our community. They are our greatest natural resource.”

In the years since the council’s founding, more than 10,000 students, from 18 Eastern Iowa high schools, have been recognized as outstanding youth leaders.

The Greater Cedar Rapids Area Council on Youth Leadership is a part of National Council on Youth Leadership.

“When Youth Salute communities applaud the positive accomplishments of their young men and women, they are building a culture that encourages excellence,” Harder said. “I will fight for these young people to receive the positive recognition they so desperately deserve.”

Niki Lee and Alexandra Harder are co-chairs of the Eastern Iowa team putting together the training and award ceremony.

More information on the National Council on Youth Leadership or Town Meeting On Tomorrow is available at NCYL.org. Information on the Cedar Rapids chapter is at http://ncylcedarrapids.org/.