FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 2, 2010
Contact: Robert Preston, Jr.,
912.260.4276
robert.preston@sgc.edu
SGC Welcomes 55 High School Students to Annual RYLA
Conference
Fifty-five students from Georgia Rotary District 6920
attended the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Conference at South
Georgia College from June 24-27. RYLA is a Rotary International program that
started in Southeast Asia and has spread across the world. It was adopted by
Georgia Rotary District 6920 in 1989, which is made up Rotary Clubs in the
following counties: Baldwin, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bibb, Bleckley, Bryan,
Bulloch, Burke, Camden, Candler, Chatham, Coffee, Dodge, Effingham, Emanuel,
Evans, Glynn, Houston, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson,
Jones, Laurens, Liberty, Lowndes, McIntosh, Peach, Pierce, Pulaski,
Richmond, Screven, Tattnall, Telfair, Tift, Toombs, Turner, Ware,
Washington, and Wayne.
Dr. Charles Johnson, SGC Chair of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Physical
Education and Associate Professor of Physics, is the RYLA Program Director
and a Rotary Club member. “RYLA is an intensive training program for youth
leaders selected by local Rotary Clubs. The focus of RYLA is to teach the
fundamentals of leadership, ethics of positive leadership, communication
skills, problem-solving, developing self-confidence and self-esteem, and the
elements of community and global citizenship,” he says.
In addition to attending a number of important classes pertaining to
leadership, personal development, motivation, and communication skills,
attendees were treated to presentations from three featured speakers.
Thursday night, Dr. Jim Cottingham, Vice President for Student Affairs at
SGC, opened RYLA with the weekend’s keynote address. On Saturday evening,
Dr. Carl McDonald, SGC’s Vice President for Academic Affairs, addressed the
group of future leaders. Andrea Giggetts, owner of Giggetts and Associates,
a company that specializes in providing human resources, supervisory and
managerial training, a speaker’s bureau, and corporate and professional
training, closed the RYLA weekend Sunday morning.
“South Georgia College takes great pride in being able to contribute to the
development of our future leaders. RYLA has been an important part of the
Rotary Club’s community service agenda for many years. Students who attend
RYLA leave the conference with a greater understanding of what it takes to
be successful in their future careers. They wouldn’t otherwise learn many of
these lessons without attending RYLA. The Douglas Rotary Club is to be
commended for its commitment to the youth of this district,” says Dr.
Virginia Carson, SGC President.
SGC participates in RYLA as a means of supporting and developing the leaders
of tomorrow. The college’s partnership with Rotary to host RYLA is but one
way both organizations can provide an avenue for youth to learn valuable
principles of leadership and community consciousness.
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About South Georgia College
South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu)
was founded in 1906 and is a two-year institution in the University System
of Georgia. Located in Douglas, Ga., the college's environment gives
students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close
collaboration with faculty.
