 |
Our Rotary Club currently sponsors two high school Interact service clubs. On December 18, four students from John F. Kennedy High School attended our meeting. (Pictured left to right in the lower photo are Annalise Gargarith, Samantha Zapanta, Jewel Jurisprudentia and Tammy Tran) But, they were not merely visitors. They actually presided over our weekly meeting from beginning to end.
They led the Pledge of Allegiance and opening ceremonies, accommodated some routine Club business items and completed the meeting with a presentation of the many activities their Interact Club is engaged in. They spoke of their experiences in leadership training opportunities sponsored through Rotary including the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy, the Fall Leadership Conference attended by over 2000 students and the Interact President's Winter Retreat. They also outlined two goals for area Interact Clubs to raise funds for a project to build structures for schools in Nicaragua so students can end the cycle of poverty and illiteracy and another project working toward destigmatizing conversations about substance abuse and providing resources necessary to thrive and grow through the troubles youth face with substance abuse and addiction here in our communities. Needless to say, these students were impressive. If their talent and zeal at today's meeting is any indication, the future is truly bright.