Youth Leadership Sandy Springs Class Members Take Part in Opening Retreat

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Forty high school sophomores and juniors from local public and private schools challenged their team building skills at the opening retreat of Youth Leadership Sandy Springs.

The retreat, led by Outward Bound, emphasized creativity, problem-solving, risk-taking and communication – all skills students need to flourish in the modern economy.

This fifth class of YLSS is its largest ever, with students from 11 different schools.

“One of the strengths of YLSS is our diversity. Students get to meet and work with others from a variety of backgrounds,“ said Youth Leadership Sandy Springs Director Polly Warren. “That experience helps them in college and beyond as they begin their careers and their service as the next generation of community leaders.”

Like its parent organization, Leadership Sandy Springs, YLSS combines civic engagement and leadership training during its year-long program. Students explore issues facing Sandy Springs, interact with business, government and civic leaders and discover opportunities for service.

They practice job interviews, go behind the scenes at City Hall, visit the jail, discover their community in a cell phone scavenger hunt, work in nonprofits and conduct a mock trial.

Members of the 2015-16 class include:

• Atlanta Girls School: Emma Kate Sellers
• The Galloway School: Naomi Sachs
• Holy Innocents Episcopal School: Max Brauer, Kate Chesser, Caroline McClatchey, Ryan Nelli
• Holy Spirit Preparatory School: Natalie Casal, Patrick Schulman, David Sullivan
• Mount Vernon Presbyterian School: Jacob Buck, Brooks Langley, A.J. Whitney, Mia Whitney
• North Springs Charter High School: Eric Abel, Maci Benveniste, Issac Chambers, Kelly Cuevas, Ben Engelman, David Glass, Mary Frances Kitchens, Joshua Patton, Molly Yoels
• Pace Academy: Sophie Blasberg
• Riverwood International Charter School: David Antoniono, Dori Balser, Mary Crawford Essinger, Julia Grace Jones, Lesly Organista, Ben Segal, Brian Smith, Christopher Sprung, Anna Thomas, Inara Valliani, Joseph Virgin, Laura Zamora
• St. Pius X High School: Sarah Tyner
• The Weber School: Harry Goldfein, Jason Zarge
• The Westminster School: Avery Rodts

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Photo 1: Collaborating with the plank challenge: David Antononio, Sophie Blasberg, Chris Sprung, Max Brauer, Brian Smith, and Ben Segal
Photo 2: Doing the rope challenge: Sarah Tyner, Mary Frances Kitchens, Natalie Casal, Maci Benveniste, Molly Yoels, and Lizbeth Zamora.
Photo 3: Youth Leadership Sandy Springs class of 2015-16.
Photo credits: Youth Leadership Sandy Springs