RYLA Students Share Inspiring Testimonials

“I lost my Mom two months before RYLA. I was empty. I had lost my spark. RYLA was an amazing experience for me. Thanks to RYLA, I started to fill the emptiness and I found my spark. Thank you.” Jordan Wagner Frontier Academy High School

“ It was amazing how quickly my team became a family. I hope to continue my experience and become a Junior Counselor next year and help give to others what was given to me. Thank you for the experience of a lifetime.” Daniel Buhler University High School

“ At first I felt shy. After 2-3 days of team building, I felt a lot of trust for everyone on my team.” Hunter Larson University Middle School

‘RYLA was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I want to do more for my community. I learned a lot about trust.” Caitlyn Olsen Frontier Academy Middle School

“My friends who went to RYLA before me all came back enthusiastic and obsessed with helping out. I thought I might debunk the RYLA experience and find the faults by participating. They were not kidding about the RYLA magic! I gained a lot of confidence and learned a lot about leadership skills. Thank you.” Lucas Smith Frontier Academy High School

I felt reserved at first, but after experiencing the Trust Falls with my team I felt connected. My grandma died the Tuesday of the conference. My mom came down to tell me in person and let me choose to stay or go. I chose to stay and finish the experience with my team. I kept my loss to myself because I wanted them to like me for me and not out of sympathy. On Friday I told my team and they were wonderful.”
Sara Hume University High School

“ I learned how strong people are and that I am not alone. I learned that if it is to be it is up to me.” Tori Palmer Frontier Academy High School

“Before RYLA I thought I knew a lot about leadership. At RYLA I got to know a lot of people in a short time. Addison Vergara Greeley West High School

“I am almost an Eagle Scout. I think I learned more about leadership in one week at RYLA than in all the time I have been in Boy Scouts.” Ian Spooner Eaton High School

“RYLA has changed my life. I feel like the teenage blinders I had been used to having have been removed. I see everything, every person and every story now. I love without trusting prejudices or stereotypes. I am open to letting myself feel how others have felt. I also have a whole new family that I feel like I have known my whole life. I miss everyone s if we were a high school off for the summer. But please send more people! I want to share my experience with everyone I can.” Kenzie Montano : email sent to Keith Abbot

The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards recipients for Junior High and High School shared their experiences and gratitude with us at our meeting on Thursday Aug. 8th. There were three students who attended young RYLA leadership training conference at the Ponderosa Conference grounds in Larkspur, Colorado and six students who went to the high school RYLA conference at the YMCA conference grounds in Estes Park.
From Sunday afternoon until Friday at noon these young people were immersed in leadership training activities. Team building games and exercises, self-awareness and other awareness increasing events, inspiring presentations by guest speakers, touching presentations by their peer counselors, and opportunities to debrief all of their experiences with a small group of 12-13 fellow participants who were part of their team throughout the conference. Each team had a Junior Counselor and a Senior Counselor. Junior Counselors are selected through a highly competitive process from former RYLA participants. Senior Counselors are Rotarians who apply and go through background checks and are then selected by the RYLA Board of Directors.

A BIG THANK YOU to all of the RYLA students for giving us such an uplifting and touching program.