This year, the Eagle-Garden City Rotary Club sponsored Boise High senior Harrison Haynes' participation in RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards). Based on his experience at the July 28-31 camp at the College of Southern Idaho, he said he'll be "able to take charge of my school career more than I ever have before." We love sending students to RYLA and seeing them grow.What is RYLA?
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is an intensive Rotary leadership experience for young people between 14 and 30 to develop their skills as leaders and promote fun and connections. In District 5400, a four-day RYLA summer camp for high school juniors and seniors is typically held at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls. Rotary clubs throughout the district sponsor students for $450 each, which covers their food, lodging and materials. Each year, 70 to 100 teenagers from around Idaho converge at RYLA to take part in and learn from physical and intellectual activities to promote leadership, effective decision-making, empathy and confidence. Our district's motto is "For Youth, by Youth," recognizing that RYLA is planned and led by previous attendees who are now giving back to the organization that shaped their lives.
Who is Harrison?
According to our past president and proud grandmother, Linda Gerber, Harrison is a senior at Boise High School who's interested in engineering. He's getting a leg up on his chosen career path by earning concurrent credit in several engineering and core classes at BSU and Northwest Nazarene University. He's skilled with design and modeling platforms and applications such as AutoCAD, Fusion 360 and CorelDRAW.
His academic path is balanced by participation in musical endeavors (like madrigals, orchestra and jazz choir) and athletic pursuits (like wrestling, track and tennis). And his work history includes working part-time at Woodcraft and Treasure Valley Home Staging. Harrison also ran his own lawn-cutting business for four years. In 2019, he volunteered for one of our food drives for St. Vincent de Paul Southwest Idaho, and he has volunteered with Young Life and the City of Trees lighting display.
What did Harrison learn at RYLA?
According to Harrison, a lot! Here are his thoughtful answers to several questions put to him. Read how RYLA made him rethink his choices and actions and how he plans to put lessons learned into action.
- What did you expect going to RYLA?
To be honest, I was not expecting much more than a normal camp, games and activities, and just a fun time, but I was pleasantly surprised with how it went.
- What did you learn?
I learned so much, but I also grew much more. Meeting people became easy. I was able to learn how to communicate, how to open up to others, how to work with others, how to start and continue a conversation productively, how to be conscious of others and the experiences that we might share or the ones we don't, and how to be kind in those situations.
- What surprised you the most about the experience?
I was surprised just how much was fit into a few days. By the end of it, I felt as if I had known my group for years. I was able to open up to them more than most people I know, and it was just so welcoming; everyone was so kind and helpful. Best experience at a camp or retreat I have ever had!
- What difference will it make in your senior year in the way you approach challenges and people?
I feel that RYLA opened many doors in my mind that were once closed. I think I will be able to take charge of my school career more than I ever have before. I do think many things that happened in previous years that made me feel anxious or scared now just seem silly and small because I was able to find myself at RYLA. It helped me realize my own potential and gave me the steps to grow more than before.
RYLA was my favorite experience in a long time, and even though I loved and had fun while I was there, it still makes me sad to know I can't go every year because I would if I could. The mindset and lessons to be learned there are endless. It was an experience I will not forget easily, and it will have a lasting effect on my life for years and years to come.