Let Youth Voices Be Heard 2018 by 21st Century Leaders

W hat 's Inside? Wh at's I nsi de?

21CL Youth Leadership Team (Council and Ambassadors) 2017-18

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Get info ab out 21st Cent ur y Leader s Explore resum e-b uild ing op p or t unit ies Discover ad vice ab out hig h school Lear n ab out p ast 21CL event s Find out ab out fellow 21st Leaders Cent ur y Leader s and t heir in Spotlight: Look for these fut ure plans throughout the publication for inspirational quotes from current world leaders!

Tabl e of Contents Meet t he Ed it or s ........................................4 W hat is 21CL?..............................................5 Past 21CL Event s........................................6 Tip s and Ad vice..........................................11 Op p or t unit ies!!...........................................14 Saying Good bye t o our Senior s.............................................16

OUR M ISSION 21st Century Leaders is a collaboration of business and professional leaders inspiring high school students to take on leadership positions, explore career opportunities, and give back to their communities by connecting them with a diverse group of enthusiastic peers, passionate professionals and powerful ideas, transforming their skills, attitudes, and abilities through training and hands-on experiences. 2 2

A pu blicat ion by t h e You t h Leader sh ip Cou n cil

Fait h Lucas

Shalin J ain

Class of 20 18 Ed it or

Class of 20 20 Grap hic Desig ner

Caroline Solom on

Just ice Big ot

Class of 20 19 Ed it or

Sura j Mod i Class of 20 19 Copy Ed it or, Staff W r iter

Class of 20 18 Grap hic Desig ner

Sier ra Vincent Class of 20 18 Staff W r iter

Zania J ackson Class of 20 18 Staff W r iter

M eet th e Edi tors

A Gl i mpse i nto a 21CL Summer... Su m m er You t h Leader sh ip In st it u t e (SYLI) Wh en ?

June 3rd-June 8th

Ear t h Car e

Tu r n er Voices You t h M edia In st it u t e

June 10th-June 15th

June 24th-June 29th

Wh at ?

Business focused leadership development

Environment focused leadership development

Media focused leadership development

Wh o?

75 Students

100 Students

75 Students

Wh er e?

Goizueta Business School at Emory University

Georgia College and State University

Turner Broadcasting System and the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta

Over view

Interactive workshops, networking opportunities, corporate tours, in depth exposure to different careers

Exposure to STEM Fields and environmental fields, round-table discussions with business leaders from Georgia Power, team building exercises, interactive workshops

Networking events with influential leaders from Turner, tours of CNN and Turner Studios, exposure to a variety of careers within the media industry, interactive workshops, and the opportunity to pitch an idea to Turner executives

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Lek otek Run 4 K i ds By Carol i ne Sol omon An enormous tennis shoe giving people high fives? A craft station where you can make tiny tool boxes? A crowd gathered at the starting line ready for the starter pistol? And a bunch of teenagers in 21CL shirts. This sight could only be seen at the August 2017 Lekotek Run 4 Kids, a four mile run whose proceeds go towards Lekotek of Georgia, which serves children with disabilities. The newly selected members of the 21CL Youth Leadership Team helped set up for the run, which took place at Georgia Perimeter College in Dunwoody, cheer on the hundreds of participants, and volunteer where help was needed. This has become the annual kick-off to the Youth Leadership Teams service to others and our term for the school year. You could tell we all had a fun time since we attempted to imitate responsible adults, many of us felt an irresistible urge to bounce on the trampoline, hammer together tiny Home Depot tool boxes, and give the person wearing the huge running shoe costume a high five like the other participants in the race. Did some of us succumb to these temptations? Shhh? . Overall, the run was a success and most everyone had a great time -- I know I did! Whether part of 21st Century Leaders or not, the annual Lekotek Run 4 Kids presents an excellent opportunity to volunteer or to pull on those running shoes and sprint, all for a great cause!

" Thi ngs don't have to change the wor ld to be i mpor tant. "

~ Steve Jobs

Wh en you read w i th a ch i l d,

Ev erybody Wi ns! W hit ney W illiam s, a 21CL Yout h Am b assad or, hosted a b ook d r ive wit h t he Com m unit y Ser vice Com m ittee am ong t he Yout h Leader ship Team in J anuar y 20 18. The hund red s of b ooks collected went t o Ever yb od y W ins! At lanta, w hich uses volunteer s t o read b ooks aloud t o elem entar y school child ren at luncht im e.

By Wh i tney Wi l l i ams Starting off the New Year on a bright note, 21st Century Leaders hosted a book drive in support of Everybody Wins! Atlanta, an organization dedicated to improving children?s literacy through shared literary experiences. Through the donation of books, Everybody Wins! Atlanta was able to host Power Lunches and Story Times in surrounding counties including Fulton County Public Schools, Gwinnett Public Schools, and many more. In all, after hosting our own book drive 21st Century Leaders r aised over 300 book s for Everybody Wins! Atlanta.

Har r y Potter, Sesam e Street , t he BFG, Pr incess and t he Frog , Hig h School Musical... you nam e it ! Tog et her we collected over 30 0 child ren b ooks!

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Fal l Summi t I mpressi ons

By Suraj M odi

Tim eline of Am er ican Civil Rig ht s Movem ent

The day began as we toured the Civil and Human Rights Museum. The bottom floor of the museum is dedicated to the civil rights movement in America as led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and the American people at large. It would be inaccurate to classify this as a museum, as it is more of an experience. One part that I thoroughly enjoyed was the sit-in lunch counter simulation. It felt as if I was catapulted back to the mid-1900s, sitting at that lunch counter sit-in in person. It was an eye-opening experience, progressing chronologically from the Brown v. Board of Education to the Montgomery Bus Boycott to MLK?s assassination.

Nat ional Center for Civil and Hum an Rig ht s

The 2017 fall Leadership Exchange was held on Saturday, October 21st at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia. Seventy 21st Century Leaders representing 45 different schools from across the state, from the foothills in the north to the rolling plains in the south, came together to connect, learn, and grow. This year, the theme of the summit was ?Humanitarianism at Work?.

Progressing to the upper floor launches one into the modern day, with a focus on Human Rights across the world. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and activists from dozens of countries tell their stories in this media gallery, inspiring all who hear their cries for justice to advocate for change. Our young leaders gained insight on how they can lead our generation to make the world a better place for all of us.

Hum an Rig ht s Display

After completing the Civil and Human Rights experience, 21st Century Leaders donated first aid products to the Humanitarianism at Work drive. The collect ion dr ive gar n er ed over 10,000 f ir st aid it em s, an impressive feat of charity and leadership, which will be distributed to those in need. This amazing contribution of medical supplies means that we are already making an immense impact as leaders to help the world. Then, we made our way to the conference room, where we were separated into groups so that we could get to network and know each other better. We made lifelong friendships and valuable connections in this room.

Then, it was time for keynote speaker, Chief Executive 8Officer of the Center for Civil & Human Rights, Derreck Kayongo, to take the floor. He spoke to us about how he was inspired to delve into the civil rights field by his experiences witnessing cruelty and violations of human and civil rights. As a child, he witnessed a man selflessly confess to a crime that he did not commit. The man was murdered by a warlord but saved the rest of the village from obliteration in the pursuit of the criminal. Mr. Kayongo explained that his sacrifice represents the best quality of a good leader -- sacrifice for the greater good. To defeat insurmountable odds and potentially save others? lives, one must make incredible sacrifices. He continued with his story of coming to America -- a young African boy that had never seen a computer -and how he put his experiences to use. He founded the Global Soap Project, which recycles unused hotel soap to donate millions of bars of soap to refugees, combating hygiene-related diseases in under-served areas. He continued by explaining how he became involved with the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. He had been making a massive impact around the world through the Global Soap Project, so he was chosen as the CEO for the Center in 2015. He inspired us to make a change in our communities as well. We then transitioned to working in small groups to address and create solutions to various civil and human rights issues such as unequal education, shelter for the homeless, and socioeconomic class differences. We collaborated with each other as well as with professionals in the field to develop plans to solve these issues. We then presented our solutions to our peers, Mr. Kayongo, and 21st Century Leaders Staff. We learned about issues facing people in our communities, nation, and world by collaborating to solve these problems and by listening to our peers present their ideas. Finally, we adjourned the summit by reflecting on the valuable lessons that we had learned that day about leadership, respect, perseverance, sacrifice, and civil and human rights.

21st Cent ur y Leader s out side of t he Center for Civil and Hum an Rig ht s

Phot o cred it s: Sura j Mod i and 21st Cent ur y Leader s 8 8

2018 Wi nter Summi t A dv entures w i th Fi nance, Sal sa, and A mazon By Fati ma A l arcon The 2018 Goizueta Youth Leadership Summit was yet another one for the books. GYLS was an intensive two-day leadership training experience in which students do a variety of leadership workshops, networking opportunities, and social activities with professionals. The first day we had the organization Wealthy Habits come and teach us about real life finances. We did trial runs of how we would learn to invest our money, spend our money, and save our money with a salary. It gave a very good perspective of how if you invest your money wisely into stocks and bonds than there is a possibility of earning more money for doing nothing other than investing money. At the end of Friday night those who stayed overnight had the chance to learn how to salsa, bachata, and merengue from a great instructor. Saturday morning was the day in which the students got to work alongside Emory Goizueta Business school students do a case study on how to fix downtown Atlanta. The students were told that if Amazon would decide to make their headquarters in Atlanta what ideas would they present to reduce traffic, make housing costs accessible, work with local law enforcement, attract other businesses to the area, and what their vision for Downtown Atlanta 2020 would be. Each group had a business student with them to not only help them prepare their information but also to bounce ideas off of for logistics. In the end every group would present to a panel of judges in which their presentation was scored and the best group would receive souvenirs from Emory and a job well done.

5 Ti ps For Personal Brandi ng As leaders, we often find ourselves at the forefront of the many activities that we are involved in. It is important to keep a good brand for ourselves as well as the organizations that we represent. Here are 5 easy tips for branding!

By Jonel l e Ch ri stoph er 1. St ay Con sist en t . Make sure that you are always being a true leader on and offline! Remember that there is always someone watching. 2. Pr ot ect you r br an d. You never want your image to be tarnished because of negative associations or bad mistakes of the past. Do a social media clean up regularly and rid anything that does align with your personal or professional brand.

3. Be You r self . You brand should always be a representation of you or what you representing and not an imitation of anything else.

4. St ay Posit ive. Sometimes there may be things that we don't agree with that are going on but as leaders, our peers look to us. Make sure that you are always being open minded, progressive, and polite.

5. Con st an t ly bu ild you r br an d. Networking is very influential to branding. You want to make connections and be around professionals that will promote your brand in the best way. Also, stay active on social media so that your brand remains relevant. This is also a great way to use 21CL's Leadership Connect polish your leadership skills and stay on point!

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Or gan ized Leaders ar e Happy Leaders By Suraj M odi As st u den t s, ou r sch edu les ar e get t in g bu sy. Clu bs, or gan izat ion s, h on or societ ies, an d spor t s all vie f or ou r t im e n ow t h at w e ar e w ell in t o t h e sch ool year . As sch ool r am ps u p an d w e get r eady f or a season of st u dyin g f or f in als, h er e ar e f ou r t ips t o k eep you on t op of you r gam e: 1. Ut ilize list s. Prioritize your assignments and activities by making lists based on due dates, meeting days, and each one?s importance to you. Then, actively reward yourself as you complete your lists and work towards your goals.

2. Updat e you r calen dar . The worst thing to do is miss an important deadline or meeting. By recording all of your commitments and assignments in a calendar, you can prevent this from happening. Staying organized is one of the most important skills you can possess as a student or out in the world as a leader.

3. Pay at t en t ion . The best way to learn is from the one who makes the assignments and tests- the teacher. By staying alert and engaged during class, you will reduce the time that you have to study at home. This will help you perform better and have more time for yourself.

4. Do n ot pr ocr ast in at e! You will eventually have to complete the work that you have to do. Therefore, instead of pushing it off, you should begin as soon as possible, tackling larger tasks in chunks so that you will not be left with a large project along with many other assignments the night before it is all due.

Th ese f ou r t ech n iqu es w ill h elp you r edu ce st r ess, get m or e sleep, an d m an age ever yt h in g t h at you do as a st u den t leader !

Sen ior year is t h is m ost im por t an t year of h igh sch ool. As sen ior s plan w h at t h eir n ext st ep w ill be af t er gr adu at ion , m ain t ain in g ext r acu r r icu lar act ivit ies an d good gr ades can be ver y ch allen gin g. College pr epar at ion sh ou ldn?t st ar t at t h e begin n in g of sen ior year . Her e ar e a f ew t ips t o h elp st ar t college pr epar at ion bef or e sen ior year t o ease som e st r ess!

1. Keep a calendar! Calendars are important for time management & time management is essential to college planning. Document all dates for the ACT, the SAT, College Application Deadlines, and School functions.

2. Take advantage of 21CL summer institutes. 21st Century Leaders has three different summer institutes: SYLI, TVYMI, and Earthcare which all focus on three different professional areas. At these institutes you will be able to network with professionals in those different fields and make connections. You will also learn new information that can help you tap into what you are passionate about. These week-long programs will also give you the experience of living in a college dorm and being away from home. 3. Start asking for recommendations early on. College and scholarship applications ask for a recommendation letter from teachers, counselors, or school administrators. It would be beneficial to ask for recommendations early because your peers will also need recommendations and the overload can be overwhelming. It shows that you are considerate of the adults?time as well as responsible. 4. Tour colleges that you are interested in. Choosing a college is a very challenging task. You have to make a decision that will last for the next 2-4 years and will impact you for the rest of your life. Different colleges have different learning and social environments. Make the decision that is best for you and the path that you choose to take.

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Hi gh Sch ool Di pl omats A n opportuni ty you don't w ant to pass up! A ppl y today! By Carol i ne Sol omon Do you like to make friends and meet people from different cultures? Have you ever thought it?d be cool to be an international diplomat? Have you ever wanted to go to Japan? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then apply for High School Diplomats 2019! Every summer, HSD U.S. chooses forty high schoolers to spend ten days on the beautiful campus of Princeton University with forty Japanese students, completely free of charge. Students are paired with Japanese roommates and participate in various activities including a Japanese Culture Festival, a talent show, sports, and much more! HSD was truly an amazing experience as I learned not only about Japanese culture specifically, but how to be a diplomat and build connections with someone from another culture. Japanese language classes, discussions with my roommate, and mock diplomat talks increased my understanding and awareness of Japanese culture, a part of the world which I frankly did not think about or associate myself with at all. On Halloween Them e Day at HSD 20 17, I w as Rosie t he Riveter and m y room m ate Yom og i w as a skelet on.

No prior experience learning Japanese is required; they simply want open-minded, friendly, and curious people. If you will be a sophomore or a junior in the 2018-19 school year, you are eligible to apply. The application opens in September 2018 on highschooldiplomats.com and closes in January 2019.

Click ab ove for a video explaining HSD!

Even better, if you are accepted to and participate in the HSD program, you are eligible to apply for HSD Japan, a program in which 20 of the 40 high schoolers from the previous year are chosen to travel to Japan on a scholarship the following summer. Please apply because you never know what will happen. I would never have imagined I would be traveling to Japan with 19 other high schoolers this summer, and look what happened!

Leadersh i p Connect

Ant hony Mays, a 21CL Yout h Leader ship Team m em b er, d iscusses 21st Cent ur y Leader s' online lear ning plat for m

By A nth ony M ays Leadership Connect provides a great way for super busy students to discover and develop their leadership talent. The lessons and hands-on activities are engaging and short. This is especially important to students who, like me, spend a significant part of their day completing rigorous course work and participating in school and community extracurricular activities. The lessons are interesting and rewarding and really help students to reflect on their leadership strengths and identify and explore their opportunities for growth.

" Leadersh i p Connect For example, lessons that focused on leadership al l ow ed me to l earn about competencies related to problem solving, integrity my personal strength s and and trust, career ambition, and building effective i nterests and h ow th ey rel ate to my career ch oi ces. teams really illuminated my leadership talents, but I am more aw are of th e lessons that emphasized other leadership di f f erent occupati onal competencies suggested that I could use greater f i el ds and w h i ch ones I ?l l development in communicating effectively and w ork best i n!" being action-oriented. Ultimately, I think that Jordan Purcel l , A rabi a M ou ntai n Hi gh Sch ool , Cl ass of Leadership Connect has helped me to better 2017, V anderb i l t Uni v ersi ty determine my educational and professional goals. When I started using the online learning program, I was pretty certain that I would pursue a career in sports medicine; however, after a few lessons, I began expanding my leadership skills and future career interests, discovering that my interests and strengths are in the areas of mathematics, business management, and bioengineering. The lessons helped me realize that I can earn a degree in either of these areas to pursue a career in professional sports. I intend to use Leadership Connect throughout senior year, taking advantage of the access the platform provides to experiences and internship opportunities that are aligned to my future interests. I nterested? Fi nd out more at h ttps:/ / w w w .21stcenturyl eaders.org/ student-programs/ l eadersh i p-connect / 14 14

" The wor ld i s cr i sscr ossed by r oads that come closer together and mor e apar t, but the i mpor tant thi ng i s that they lead towar ds the good. "

Sayi ng Goodbye to our Seni ors... W hat an accom plishm ent ! Join us in com m em orat ing all of our senior s w ho com pleted our for m as t hey m ove on from hig h school and 21st Cent ur y Leader s. Go senior s!

~Pope Fr anci s

Fati ma A l arcon ~ East side Hig h School/ New t on Colleg e and Career Academ y/ Science Technolog y Eng ineer ing and Mat hem at ics Inst it ute How 21CL Im p acted Me: It opened m e up t o new op p or t unit ies such as m eet ing new people, m eet ing b usiness ind ivid uals, and g et out of m y com for t zone. Hob b ies: I enjo y helping in m y com m unit y w het her it b e w rap ping up g ift s for or p hanag es or anyt hing t hat really need s help. I also enjo y w at ching Net flix in w hich I w at ch Grey?s Anat om y and FRIENDS. Fut ure Plans: I plan t o attend eit her Geor g ia State or Mercer Univer sit y and receive a m a jor in Biolog y and a m inor in chem istr y. After colleg e I plan t o attend m ed ical school and hopefully b ecom e a ped iatr ician. I eit her wish t o open up m y ow n p ract ice wit h ot her d oct or s or join a p ract ice. Ni aRae A l l en ~ W heeler Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me: Being in 21st Cent ur y Leader s had helped m e develop net w or king skills like never b efore. I have also ear ned t o w or k wit h people from d ifferent places and b rainst or m ideas off of each ot her. Also I w as ab le t o step w ay out of m y com for t zone w hen it com es t o p ub lic speaking and lear n I am q uite g ood at it t oo! Hob b ies: Wat ching Net flix and m aking Yout ub e videos Fut ure Plans: I plan t o attend Geor g ia State Univer sit y t o m a jor in Business Ad m inistrat ion wit h a focus in Manag er ial Sciences. A di tya Bagch i ~ Nor t hview Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me: It has taug ht m e t o speak up for m yself and under stand w hat leader ship m eans. Hob b ies: Wat ching and tracking sp or t s and traveling Fut ure Plans: I plan t o b e a b usiness m a jor, and I w ant t o w or k in t he sp or t s w or ld wit h b usiness/sp or t s m anag em ent

Justi ce Bi got- Gwinnett School of Science and Mat hem at ics How 21 CL Im p acted Me: "21st Cent ur y Leader s has connected m e wit h like m inded ind ivid uals. Tog et her we have t he p otent ial t o d o m ore and streng t hen each ot her. Hob b ies: Anyt hing m usic related Fut ure Plans: I plan on attend ing t he Savannah Colleg e of Ar t and Desig n in t he fall!

Toni a Brow n ~ Eag les Land ing Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21st Cent ur y Leader s ab solutely r ules! It has im p acted m e in so m any w ays, and I could not b e m ore g rateful t o m eet a d iver se select ion of teens across t he state of Geor g ia and creat ing fr iend s I call fait hful. My year in t his or g anizat ion lead m y last hig h school year t o success. Hob b ies: I love t o sing , ser ve, and sm ile. W hat else can I say! Helping ot her s and b r ing ing jo y are values t hat m ake m y d ay. Fut ure Plans: I plan t o b e a Meteorolog ist and televised rep or ter. In som e year s, cat ch m e on t he air ! I love a g reat sup p or ter !

Jonel l e Ch ri stoph er ~ Nor t hside Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21CL has m olded m e int o t he leader t hat I am t od ay. The or g anizat ion has g iven m e t he skills needed t o help m y peer s t hroug h lead ing t hem in t he r ig ht d irect ion. Hob b ies: Wat ching TV. text ing fr iend s, and eng ag ing in p olit ical conver sat ion on social m ed ia. Fut ure Plans: My fut ure plans are t o attend Fisk Univer sit y in t he fall and p ur sue a deg ree in p olit ical science. After g rad uat ing from colleg e, I plan t o g o on t o law school in hopes of b ecom ing a cr im inal defense att or ney and event ually r unning for local g over nm ent offices. Sydni e Cobb ~ DeKalb Ear ly Colleg e Academ y How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21CL helped m e t o d iscover and develop m y leader ship p otent ial. My involvem ent in 21CL has eq uip ped m e wit h confidence and ot her necessar y skills needed t o p ur sue leader ship p osit ions and d ifferent op p or t unit ies. Hob b ies: Explor ing At lanta, find ing new restaurant s, t hr ift ing , g oing t o concer t s, read ing , w r it ing , and per fect ing m y alter nat ive m usic playlist . Fut ure Plans: I plan t o attend Har vard Univer sit y in t he fall wit h a concentrat ion in g over nm ent . Eri c Dai l y ~ Cham b lee Char ter Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21st Cent ur y leader s has allowed m e t o secure a sp ot as a Bonner Scholar at Morehouse Colleg e as well as an inter n at Tur ner Broad cast ing . It has also b een an excellent transit ion int o t he "real w or ld " and g iven m e an op p or t unit y t o b e sur rounded by like-m inded peer s each wit h a specific set of g oals and aspirat ions t hat t hey plan t o achieve. Hob b ies: Ed it ing and Film Prod uct ion, Com m unit y Ser vice, Pub lic Speaking Fut ure plans: I plan t o attend Morehouse as a Cinem a Television and Em er g ing Med ia St ud ies m a jor wit h a m inor in Eng ineer ing . My long ter m g oals are t o w or k in t he m ed ia ind ustr y as a Prod uct ion Direct or and /or Television Net w or k Ow ner. 16 16

M organ Dash er ~ Deer field -W ind sor School How 21CL Im p acted Me: W hen I p ar t icip ated in m y fir st 21CL event a few year s ag o, I listened as Mr. Bob Wat son explained t hat b eing a "21st Cent ur y Leader " m eant b ecom ing com for tab le wit h b eing uncom for tab le. Since t hen, I have sp oken t o crow d s of b usiness p rofessionals, g over nm ent leader s, and m y peer s alike, and I cont inue t o feel confident even w hile I am p ushing m yself off t he cliff of m y com for t zone Hob b ies: d ancing , w r it ing , spend ing t im e wit h fam ily, hang ing out wit h fr iend s, g oing t o t he b each. Fut ure plans: I will b e attend ing t he Univer sit y of Geor g ia star t ing in t he fall, and I'm planning t o m a jor in Healt h Prom ot ion wit h a m inor in Sp anish. V i sh esh Gattani ~ Milt on Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21st Cent ur y Leader s has helped m e connect wit h num erous influent ial ind ivid uals and taug ht m e how t o g et m yself out t here. The b usiness lessons were extrem ely valuab le and I g ot t o lear n so m uch ab out t he cor p orate w or ld t hroug h net w or king exper iences! Hob b ies: Violin, rock clim b ing , tennis, b iking Fut ure Plans: Pur suing an under g rad uate deg ree in Mechanical Eng ineer ing at Geor g ia Tech and hoping t o create m y ow n star t up in t he fut ure.

Lauren Gow er ~ Et ow ah Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21st Cent ur y Leader s has allowed m e t o b reak out of m y shell. I have b een ab le t o net w or k wit h p rofessionals and fig ure out w hat I w ant t o d o wit h m y life. Hob b ies: I enjo y playing m usic, traveling , and read ing m y favor ite b ooks over and over ! Fut ure Plans: I plan on attend ing t he Univer sit y of Geor g ia in an entrep reneur s p rog ram .

Jesus Hernandez ~ DeKalb Ear ly Colleg e Academ y How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21CL has enab led m e t o com e out of m y shell and b ecom e m ore b usiness p rofessional. It has also taug ht m e how t o b e m ore resp onsib le and take init iat ive. Finally, I've b een ab le t o m ake m any g reat fr iend s t hroug h t his p rog ram . Hob b ies: read ing , lear ning d ifferent lang uag es, playing Leag ue of Leg end s Fut ure plans: I w ant t o b ecom e an ed it or/p ub lisher for novels aim ed at young ad ult reader s. I w ant t o b e ab le t o contr ib ute t o t he creat ion of b ooks and g ive t hose young reader s t he sam e jo y I felt w hen read ing a g ood b ook.

Sydny Hol l i s ~ East Coweta Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21CL has helped m e t ur n int o t he confident leader I am t od ay. W it hout 21CL I feel like I w ould n?t b e as far in life as I am t od ay. Hob b ies: I love film ing , w at ching m ovies, hang ing out wit h m y fr iend s and listening t o m usic. Fut ure Plans: I plan on attend ing It haca Colleg e in New Yor k m a jor ing in t heir Film , Phot og rap hy, and Visual Ar t s Prog ram .

Z ani a Jack son ~ Doug las Count y Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21CL has im p acted m e by m aking m e a m ore open-m inded ind ivid ual and a listener. The p rog ram has inspired m e t o str ive t o b ecom e a leader in all aspect s of m y life. Hob b ies: Som e of m y hob b ies include w at ching Net flix, social m ed ia, read ing , and shop ping . Fut ure Plans: In t he fut ure, I plan t o attend a four -year univer sit y and d oub le m a jor in m ar ket ing and p ub lic relat ions.

Jesti ni Jordan ~ Rockd ale Mag net School for Science and Technolog y How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21st Cent ur y Leader s has opened t he d oor for count less op p or t unit ies and inspired m e t o b ecom e t he fear less leader t hat I am t od ay. This p rog ram has im p acted m y fr iend ship s, m y net w or king cap ab ilit ies, and m ost im p or tant ly, m y fut ure success. Hob b ies: My hob b ies include hang ing out wit h fr iend s, g oing t o m useum s, and w r it ing . Fut ure Plans: I will b e attend ing Texas A&M Univer sit y m a jor ing in Ind ustr ial Eng ineer ing

M eredi th Ll oyd ~ Mar ist School

How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21st Cent ur y Leader s has enab led m e t o g row in m y leader ship t hroug h encourag ing m e t o m eet peer s t hat are d r iven and inspired . Hob b ies: In m y free t im e, I love playing lacrosse, g oing t o b aseb all g am es, g oing t hr ift shop ping , and hang ing out wit h m y fr iend s! Fut ure Plans: I plan on g oing t o Sout her n Met hod ist Univer sit y m a jor ing in Business Manag em ent wit h a m inor in Cor p orate Com m unicat ions and Pub lic Relat ions. 18 18

Fai th Lucas ~ Milt on Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me: For t he p ast t w o year s, listening t o a ser ies of speaker s and p ar t icip at ing in var ious 21st Cent ur y Leader s event s has showed m e t he im p or tance of str iving t ow ard s your g oals. I can use t he skills I've g ained from t his p rog ram in p rett y m uch ever y facet of m y life. Thanks 21CL! Hob b ies: Video ed it ing , w r it ing , p hot og rap hy, hiking , and g ood conver sat ion Fut ure Plans: I'm g oing t o b e attend ing Ohio Univer sit y t his fall as a Tem plet on Scholar m a jor ing in Integ rated Med ia. Dur ing and after colleg e I intend t o w or k on t he b usiness side of t he m ed ia and enter tainm ent ind ustr ies, event ually developing a m ult im ed ia com p any in t he fut ure.

Steph en Pol k ~ DeKalb Ear ly Colleg e Academ y How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21st Cent ur y Leader s has literally b een t he b est t hing in m y life, b ecause of t he infor m at ion and op p or t unit ies t hat have b een m ade availab le t o m e, t hroug h net w or king , leader ship develop m ent , and p rofessionalism , w hile b eing sur rounded by a d iver se g roup of ind ivid uals w ho act just like m e. Hob b ies: Making YouTub e videos, knitt ing Fut ure Plans: I plan t o r un m y ow n d ig ital m ar ket ing ag ency in t he next six m ont hs p rovid ing ser vices t o p otent ial cust om er s, w hile attend ing Kennesaw State Univer sit y. I plan t o g ain m y Bachelor 's Deg ree from Kennesaw in Business Mar ket ing . My long ter m g oal is t o r un for President of t he United States in t he year 20 36. Dav i d Qi u ~ Mad ison Countr y Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21CL has had a m a jor im p act on m e b ecause it has taug ht m e how t o b etter lead ot her s and streng t hen m y relat ionship wit h m e and m y com m unit y. Hob b ies: I enjo y playing soccer and piano, hang ing out wit h fam ily and fr iend s, and lear ning new com p uter soft w are system s. Fut ure Plans: I plan on g oing t o t he Univer sit y of Geor g ia m a jor ing in Business Manag em ent and hope one d ay I will star t a b usiness t hat consist s of IT. Tanv i Raj ~ Sout h For syt h Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21st Cent ur y Leader s has taug ht m e t he im p or tance of com m unicat ing effect ively and m ost im p or tant ly t he skill of net w or king . Reg ard less of t he field you p ur sue, net w or king and m aking t hose life last ing connect ions can tr uly b enefit you in t he fut ure. I also lear ned t hat it is cr ucial t o alw ays p ut t he need s of ot her s b efore your s even reg ard less t he size of t he sit uat ion. A leader should b e m ind ful of t heir sur round ing s and act accord ing ly. Hob b ies: Baking , Sing ing , and Dancing Fut ure Plans: Attend UGA as p rem ed and g rad uate and g o t o m ed school. My d ream is t o b ecom e a ped iatr ician.

Tanv i Reddy ~ Wood w ard Academ y How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21CL has show n m e t hat b uild ing and m aintaining g enuine relat ionship s in your p rofessional field not only opens up m ore d oor s for you, b ut increases t he im p act you can have on ot her s. Ad d it ionally, 21CL has p roved t o m e t hat anyone can b e a leader, w het her you have a d om inat ing p resence or a q uiet voice. Hob b ies: I enjo y w r it ing , explor ing t he hid den cor ner s of At lanta, encom p assing new exper iences, and spend ing t im e wit h m y fr iend s and fam ily. Fut ure Plans: I plan on attend ing Geor g e Washing t on Univer sit y t o d oub le m a jor in Inter nat ional Affair s and Business Ad m inistrat ion. I will cont inue b eing t he p assionate social just ice act ivist I am , and one d ay w or k in eit her t he NGO field or g over nm ent .

Jenni f er Ri ce ~ Providence Chr ist ian Academ y How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21CL taug ht m e t o lead hum b ly and fear lessly as a ser vant -leader. 21st Cent ur y Leader s has also increased m y leader ship and p ub lic speaking skills as well as m y sense of d iver sit y. Hob b ies: Modeling , Phot og rap hy/ Film , Act ing , Dance, Sing ing , Music, Track, and All Star Cheer lead ing Fut ure Plans: I plan t o st ud y m ass com m unicat ions in order t o p ur sue a career in b road cast jour nalism .

Si erra V i ncent ~ W ind sor Forest Hig h School in Savannah, GA How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21Cl has taug ht m e t he im p or tance of not b eing afraid t o p resent your self in front of ot her s. New op p or t unit ies com e t o t hose w ho take chances and step out of t heir com for t zones. Hob b ies: I enjo y p hot og rap hy and w r it ing . These hob b ies are a g reat w ay for m e t o m eet new people and exp ress m y creat ive ener g y. Fut ure Plans: This fall I plan t o attend Kennesaw State Univer sit y and m a jor in Mass Com m unicat ions wit h a m inor in g rap hic desig n and /or m ar ket ing .

Ben Wol f son ~ Cham b lee Char ter Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me: 21st Cent ur y Leader s helped m e realize m y p ur p ose and find t he courag e t o p ur sue it . Hob b ies: Fit ness, Saxop hone Fut ure Plans: Geor g ia Inst it ute of Technolog y, Electr ical Eng ineer ing

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X av i er Hol l i day~ West m inster Schools How 21CL Im p acted Me- The contact s and connect ions m ade t hroug h 21CL have b een invaluab le. Not only have we m et a set of peer s t hat have com m ensurate g oals and aspirat ions, our m ent or has b een am azing . Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- Receiving t he Geor g ia Yout h Leader ship Aw ard in 20 17. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Syracuse Univer sit y t o st ud y b road cast jour nalism wit h an em p hasis in sp or t s b road cast ing .

Joseph Brow n~ Sout h Effing ham Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21CL has p rovided m any op p or t unit ies t o help m e step out of m y com for t zone t o im p rove knowled g e of how t o ap p roach d ifferent people and sit uat ions in life and in t he w or kplace. I have lear ned t he value of b eing ab le t o net w or k and estab lish connect ions wit h execut ives and p rofessional ind ivid uals. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite 21CL m em or y w ould b e t our ing Tur ner Broad cast ing Head q uar ter s. Being ab le t o see t he NBA on TNT set and t he E Leag ue st ud ios w as really cool. I even had t he op p or t unit y t o net w or k wit h one of TNT sp or t s execut ives and she offered m e a fut ure inter nship. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing t he Univer sit y of Geor g ia in t he fall t o m a jor in exercise and sp or t s science Gab ri el l e Ti gner~ Peb b leb rook Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- I?ve b ecam e m ore out g oing and lost m y fear of speaking in p ub lic. I lear ned t he skills of net w or king and b eing a ser vant -leader. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- Meet ing Cr ist y Jones and b ecom ing lifelong 21CL fam ily. My fir st year at Ear t h Care, I exper ienced t he b est d or m st yle living and w as ab le t o net w or k wit h p rofessionals w ho?ve influence m e g reat ly. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing eit her t he Univer sit y of West Geor g ia or Yale Univer sit y in t he fall t o st ud y m ass com m unicat ions. Fal l on How ard- Shiloh Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21CL has im p acted m e not only wit h m y net w or k of fr iend s, b ut it g ives m e an ad vantag e w hen ap plying t o colleg e, a job, or even an inter nship. This or g anizat ion has also streng t hened m y com m unicat ion skills, leader ship skills, and m y inter view skills. Overall a g reat p rog ram t hat i wish ever yone could have t he op p or t unit y t o d o so. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- Favor ite m em or y w as net w or king wit h p rofessionals at Coco-Cola and having t he op p or t unit y t o explore d ifferent career op p or t unit ies and even inter nship s Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing t he Univer sit y of Ohio in t he fall and m a jor ing in b road cast jour nalism .

22 Fari l yn Hurt- Geor g ia Militar y Prep Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21CL has not only m ade m e a b etter leader, b ut also a b etter per son. The training and sum m it s offered by 21CL d o p rovide p ropelling op p or t unit y for hig h school st udent s t o g et out of t heir shells and lear n t o enjo y t hem selves. Academ ically, we are all excep t ional wit hout q uest ion b ut t he w or ld is m uch m ore t han t hat . 21CL is t he per fect place t o recog nize t hat fact . It is ab out your interact ions wit h ot her s, t he relat ionship s t hat you b uild , your w or k et hic, and t he life-long p rocess of self im p rovem ent . I am so t hankful for all t he op p or t unit ies t hat I have had t hus far and t he m any op p or t unit ies t o com e t o b e a leader. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite 21CL m em or y com es from t he Goizueta Yout h Leader ship Sum m it I attended last year in 20 17. I rem em b er b eing so excited wit h t he people and t he at m osp here were set w hen I w alked t hroug h t he d oor s. I act ually b um ped int o one of m y m ent or s! Her nam e is Nia Allen. She is a year older t han m e and I had m et her at a career cam p t he year b efore. At t he cam p, we b ecam e fr iend s and since t hen, we st ill talk and I ask her for ad vise. At t hat m om ent , I felt so m ot ivated . Seeing som eone I looked up t o p ar t icip ate in t he sam e leader ship training or g anizat ions and g roup s t hat I w as in m ade m e feel reassured in w hat I w as d oing . Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing t he Univer sit y of Alab am a in t he fall t o st ud y nur sing .

X av i er Hunter- St ockb r id g e Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me-21CL has im p acted in a trem end ous w ay t o realize m y self-w or t h. As a result of b eing around b r illiant m ind s and accom plished ind ivid uals, I often q uest ioned "W hy m e?" or "How d id I g et here?" Over t im e, t he leader ship act ivit ies and eng ag ing speaker s lead m e t o elim inate any self-d oub t t hat I once har b ored . By elim inat ing t he self- d oub t , I w as ab le t o g ain a t on of confidence and even cease com p ar ing m yself t o ot her s. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite 21CL m em or y w ould have t o b e exper iencing t he ad renaline r ush associated wit h t he fir st d ay of cam p. You never know w ho will attend your sum m it or w hat act ivit ies you will b e eng ag ed in. My fir st d ay at t he Ear t hCare sum m it at Ber r y Colleg e w as filled wit h excitem ent , MANY introd uct ions, and cur iosit y t o unlock m y inner leader ; for t hat , t he jo y of t he unknow n is m y favor ite and m ost m em orab le m om ent wit h 21CL. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing t he Univer sit y of Miam i in t he fall t o st ud y inter nat ional finance & m ar ket ing . A l ex i s O'Neal - Union Grove Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21st Cent ur y Leader s taug ht m e how t o com e out of m y shell. I have g row n m ore as a per son and I have g row n m ore as a leader. W it hout 21st Cent ur y Leader s I w ould have never g ained t he skills req uired t o speak t o m y peer s in a confident m anner and t o t hose t hat I wish t o net w or k wit h wit h p rofessionalism . The skills I have g ained t hroug h t his or g anizat ion are tr uly invaluab le and I will cont inue t o use t hem for t he rest of m y life and I am so ap p reciat ive of t hat . Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- W hen I w as at t he SYLI cam p at Em or y net w or king wit h m ar keter s and law yer s from Coca-Cola w as t he b est m em or y I have wit h 21st Cent ur y Leader s. My g roup w or ked t o sim ulate a "real life" exper ience wit h a "celeb r it y", and t his ended wit h a lot of laug hter and inside jokes. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend The Univer sit y of Nor t h Geor g ia in 22 ing t he fall t o st ud y b iolog y/p re-m ed 22

Srav ya A mb adi pudi - Nor t hview Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21CL has allowed m e t o b reak out of m y shell. Pr ior t o attend ing SYLI, m y ver y fir st cam p wit h 21CL, I w as t he t im idest per son t hat I knew. I w ould b e extrem ely scared of confrontat ion and avoid it at all cost s. Going t o t his cam p and lear ning ab out p resentat ion, et iq uette, and , of cour se, t he elevat or pit ch, has allowed m e t o g et out of m y com for t zone and g row int o a m ore confident per son. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- W hen I w as at t he Tur ner Yout h Med ia Inst it ute last sum m er, we were req uired t o com e up wit h an idea t o reinvent Tur ner 's channels t o seem m ore ap pealing t o a wider aud ience even t houg h m any com p anies t hat p rovide stream ing are p refer red by a wider aud ience. Being a p ar t of a g roup and com ing up wit h t he idea for t he p roject extrem ely fun b ecause of t he fr iend s t hat I m ade and t he interest ing d iscussions t hat we had . Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Purd ue Univer sit y in t he fall t o st ud y Neurob iolog y Truman Jones- West m inster Schools How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21CL has chang ed m y life by m aking m e m ore conscious of t he environm ent t hroug h t he Ear t hCare p rog ram . It has also taug ht m e t hat it is accep tab le t o b e a leader. Being sur rounded by people from all over t he state of Geor g ia w ho are at t he t op of t heir class and devoted t o ser vice is tr uly a special exper ience. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite 21CL m em or y w as w hen we went t o t he ropes cour se d ur ing t he Ear t hCare p rog ram at Geor g ia Colleg e. I rem em b er helping m any of m y classm ates tr y t he rock w all for t he fir st t im e. It w as extrem ely rew ard ing t o see t hem face t heir fear s and clim b t he rock w all. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Har vard Univer sit y in t he fall t o st ud y b iom ed ical eng ineer ing

El l i s Pearson- Mar ist School How 21CL Im p acted Me-I have used t he skills t hat I lear ned over t he rem aining t hree year s of m y hig h school ed ucat ion. I cer tainly have m ore confidence, p oise, and insig ht on how t o lead , b ot h from t he front , as well as t o encourag e and lead from b ehind . Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- Spend ing t he week at Geor g ia Tech lear ning ab out leader ship. I especially enjo yed spend ing t im e wit h m y b rot her Evan and his room m ates. We have a lot of fun laug hing and lear ning ab out one anot her. Also, it w as w onder ful t o share d inner wit h Mr. Lueg er ing , not only w as he funny, b ut p rovided a lot of w onder ful infor m at ion. Thank you for taking t im e out of your b usy life t o spend t im e wit h us Mr. Lueg er ing . Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Geor g ia State Univer sit y in t he fall t o st ud y film and com m unicat ions.

Ev an Pearson- Mar ist24 School How 21Cl Im p acted Me- I have g one on t o d o q uite a num b er of t hing s at m y school and ser ved as a leader in a num b er of areas. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- I really enjo yed m y suite m ates and t he late nig ht conver sat ions t hat we had . The p resentat ions were p ar t icular ly interest ing , and I w as honored t o have t he op p or t unit y t o speak at t he closing p rog ram . Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing t he Univer sit y of Califor nia Davis t o st ud y inter nat ional relat ions. M ary Grace Watson- Colq uitt Count y Hig h School How 21Cl Im p acted Me- 21st Cent ur y Leader s has allowed m e t o m eet so m any am azing people from around t he state. I've d iscovered m y tr ue leader ship p otent ial and found exact ly w hat I w ant t o p ur sue as a career t hanks t o 21CL. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite m em or y from 21st Cent ur y Leader s is eat ing b reakfast at TVYMI wit h m y p als, Syd ny, Ant hony, J am es, W ill & Just in. Even w hen t hey were teasing m e ab out m y accent , t hey were m aking m e laug h, and I m iss our m or ning conver sat ions. I wish I could eat b reakfast wit h t hem ag ain t om or row. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing t he Univer sit y of Geor g ia in t he fall t o st ud y p ub lic relat ions. K el i s Joh nson- DeKalb Ear ly Colleg e Academ y How 21Cl Im p acted Me- 21CL allowed m e t o m eet like-m inded ind ivid uals, collab orate wit h t hem and develop invaluab le collab orat ive skills. Also, by p ar t icip at ing in t he TVYMI, I w as ab le t o explore m ed ia as one of m y areas of interest and b e exp osed t o t he m any d ifferent career s wit hin a m ed ia com p any like Tur ner. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite 21CL Mem or y w as w or king wit h m y g roup at Tur ner Voices Yout h Med ia Inst it ute t o create and deliver a pit ch for t he Tur ner Execut ives. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Duke Univer sit y in t he fall t o st ud y m at hem at ics and p hilosop hy. Joh n Grav es- Sonoraville Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21st Cent ur y Leader s q uickly exp osed m e t o a var iet y of exper iences, opinions, and connect ions t hat t ur ned a freshm an rom a Nor t h GA hig h school int o a d ream er and event ually a leader. From p rep ar ing m e for d or m life at t he Gover nor ?s Honor s Prog ram and colleg e, exp osing m e t o t he p ower of t he non-p rofit sect or of b usiness, and teaching m e how t o look aw ake in a lect ure after 3 hour s of sleep, I could never attem p t t o q uant ify t he im p act t his p rog ram has had on m e and m y develop m ent as a leader. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite 21CL m em or y has t o b e w at ching t he 20 15 NBA finals, b et ween Golden State and t he Cavs, in t he Em or y Univer sit y d or m b uild ing at SYLI. After having a g lor ious attem p t t o order pizza shut d ow n late t he nig ht b efore, and a less t han spectacular per for m ance salsa d ancing , t his w as t he per fect conclusion t o an awesom e week of cam p. But ser iously, t he t im es spent even at t hese seem ing ly insig nificant act ivit ies created net w or ks (and g roup chat s) t hat have rem ained asset s long after t he conclusion of t he sum m er p rog ram s. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Geor g ia Tech or Har vard in t he 24 fall t o st ud y econom ics 24

Cl audi a Ev ans- Seq uo yah Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- The net w or king and leader ship skills t hat I lear ned at 21st Leader s Prog ram s has p roved t o b e p r iceless. Ut ilizing t hese skills has g ained m e m any scholar ship s from Ber r y Colleg e, Rom e, Geor g ia. I will b e attend ing Ber r y in t he Fall of 20 18. The knowled g e t hat I g ained d ur ing m y 21st Cent ur y Leader s Prog ram g ave m e t he p ower t o succeed . Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite m em or y is from Ear t h Care w hen I lear ned how t o use a t her m ostat . We had spent t he w hole d ay out side in t he sum m er heat . W hen I g ot t o m y room , it w as just as hot as it w as out side. I d rank all t he Gat orade and w ater t hat I had b roug ht wit h m e and I t ook a cold shower and st ill could not fig ure out w hy I w as so hot . I called m y m om , and she called J asm ine Tillm an. I realized t hat t he heat w as on, and t he room w as 86 deg rees Fahrenheit . Need less t o say, I p ut t he air on t o 68 deg rees and recovered p rett y q uickly. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Ber r y Colleg e in t he fall t o st ud y b iochem istr y wit h a p re-m ed ical track. A nth ony DeGennaro- New nan Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21 CL has im p acted m e by g iving m e a g reat op p or t unit y t o w or k for Tur ner t his sum m er and it g ave m e som e really close fr iend s t hroug hout t he state. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- W hen we were at cam p, on t he last nig ht , m e and a couple fr iend s just said our favor ite st or ies of our hig h school career. We also m ade fun of each ot her. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing t he Univer sit y of West Geor g ia in t he fall t o st ud y com m unicat ions, film , or b usiness. Noah Berman- Chattahoochee Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21CL has im p acted m e in m ult iple w ays. It had m ade m e m ore of a confident p ub lic speaker. The p rog ram g ot m e t o w or k wit h m y peer s w ho I d id not know at fir st b ut b eg an t o lear n m ore ab out t hem . Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite 21CL m em or y is w hen m y g roup and I d id our p resentat ion for Ear t hCare. We w or ked ver y hard on it and alt houg h we d id not win, we had a g reat chem istr y t og et her. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing t he Univer sit y of Sout h Carolina t o st ud y sp or t s and enter tainm ent m anag em ent . Joh nath an Wel l s- Flower y Branch Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21st Cent ur y Leader s has g reat ly im p acted m e so far in t he recent year s. It taug ht m e how t o b etter com m unicate and collab orate wit h m y peer s. Lear ning t o b e a b etter com m unicat or, and m ore im p or tant ly, a b etter listener, has streng t hened m y role as a leader in m y school and com m unit y. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite m em or y from 21st Cent ur y Leader s w as w hen I had t he op p or t unit y t o p resent a solut ion t o a real p rob lem exper ienced by Tur ner Broad cast ing t o a b oard of t heir em plo yees and execut ives. Wor king along side a g roup of m y peer s and fellow leader s we created a viab le solut ion t o attract a m issing aud ience t o Tur ner 's p rog ram m ing . My team and I were aw arded 2nd place in t he com pet it ion for our ideas. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing t he Univer sit y of Geor g ia t o st ud y enter tainm ent and m ed ia.

26 lake Hig h School M atth ew Th ack er- West How 21CL Im p acted Me- This p rog ram has helped m e b ecom e m ore asser t ive t his is so b ecause I?m now m ore out g oing , eag er for speaking and interact ing wit h peer s. Also t his p rog ram has taug ht m e how t o listen t o ever yone?s inp ut and ideas b ecause ever yone can contr ib ute som et hing im p or tant . Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- The Case st ud y at Em or y w here we all d ivided int o team s wit h new people and w or ked on t he case st ud y and t hen p resented it . It w as a am azing exper ience as we b onded and w or ked t og et her t o m eet ever yone?s need s and inp ut . Fur t her m ore m y g roup g ot 3rd overall for t he st ud y! Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Savannah State Univer sit y t o st ud y civil eng ineer ing .

Nei l Patk ar- Lovett School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21CL has taug ht m e how t o w or k wit h lar g e g roup s of people, how t o speak p rofessionally in p ub lic, and how t o net w or k in a shor t am ount of t im e. In ad d it ion t o t hese skills, I have m ade count less fr iend s and I w as ab le t o exp and m y b usiness net w or k t o a ver y b road reach of people. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite 21CL m em or y w as w hen I g ot t o speak wit h Colem an Breland , t he Head of Sales at Tur ner Broad cast ing . He w as an am azing per son w ho w as sur p r ising ly ver y funny and d ow n t o ear t h, despite his stat us as an execut ive. I w as asked t o introd uce him t o t he ot her Leader s, and so I w as ab le t o have a p r ivate conver sat ion wit h him b eforehand and he g ave m e lot s of ad vice and taug ht m e ab out his exper iences even t houg h we were talking only for 20 m inutes. Overall, I w as ab le t o lear n from Mr. Breland t hat m y career is m y choice, and only I can set m y lim it s. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing New Yor k Univer sit y t o st ud y inter nat ional b usiness. Ch andl er Sh aw - Arab ia Mountain Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21C has opened m y eyes t o t hing s b ig g er t han m yself. This m eans t hat I realized t heir are kid s w ho have it w ay w or se t han m e. I should cher ish ever y m om ent I have. Being in a hospital sett ing , showed m e t hat people have p ur p oses. The d oct or s and nur ses have d ut ies t o t heir p at ient s and love t heir job. I definitely could see m yself w or king in a sim ilar t o CHOA in t he fut ure. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite m em or y w as w alking around t he hospital g iving out ted d y b ear s t o t he p at ient s and p utt ing sm iles on t heir faces. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Geor g ia Sout her n Univer sit y in t he fall t o st ud y nur sing . Jef f erey K el sch - W heeler Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21CL has im p acted m e by g iving m e t he ar senal of t ools t o allow t o b e m ore vocal in m y com m unit y. Being vocal and com m unicat ing wit h ot her s is t he fir st cr ucial step t o chang ing our selves and t he environm ent we live in. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- I enjo yed p ar t icip at ing in t he op p or t unit y t o g ive a welcom e speech for a for m al b anq uet . It w as a ver y ner vous yet fun exper ience. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing t he Univer sit y of Geor g ia in t he fall t o st ud y com p uter system s eng ineer ing . 26 26

Tyri k Wynn- Com m unit y Chr ist ian School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21CL has taug ht m e t he value of d oing b ig t hing s at a young ag e. It has helped m e m ake new fr iend s and exp anded m y knowled g e and exper ience in t he television w or ld , by allowing m e t o p ar t icip ate in t he Tur ner Voices Yout h Med ia Inst it ute. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite 21CL m em or y w as d ur ing t he Tur ner Voices Yout h Med ia Inst it ute w hen we had t o lear n et iq uette skills. A w hole lot of people were str ug g ling , and it w as hilar ious. On t he last d ay I g ot a chance t o speak at t he cerem ony, and I had a chance t o connect wit h t he aud ience. It 's a p rog ram I will never for g et . Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Geor g ia State Univer sit y t o st ud y jour nalism .

James Bryan- Henr y W. Grad y Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- It really has taug ht m e t hat in order t o g et t he m ost out of life and your exper iences, you have t o really w ant t o. You cannot just sit b ack and ob ser ve, b ut have t o st ick your neck out and tr y t o have fun, no m atter your p reconceived not ions of t he act ivit y or t he people you are wit h. That att it ude can m ake an incred ib le d ifference. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- Pract icing for m y g roup 's pit ch t o CNN execs by far. Wor king on our p resentat ion, laug hing at each ot her for m essing up, w or king t o im p rove as a w hole, realizing t he uniq ue skills of ever y per son, and having fun in g eneral really t ied t he week up nicely and w as a g ood rep resentat ion of t he ent ire 21st Cent ur y exper ience. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Geor g ia Tech t o st ud y inter nat ional affair s.

M J Lock - W heeler Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- Attend ing Tur ner Voices Yout h Med ia Inst it ute im p roved m y leader ship skills, b ot h in t he video p rod uct ion classes I t ook senior year and in g roup p roject s for ot her classes. Ad d it ionally, attend ing TVYMI opened up t he op p or t unit y t o ap ply for a p aid inter nship at Tur ner, and am excited t o say t hat I w as selected and will b e w or king t here t his sum m er ! Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite m em or y of 21st Cent ur y Leader s is g ett ing t o m eet one of m y id ols, Car l Azuz, at t he p rofessional d inner at t he Tur ner Voices Yout h Med ia Inst it ute. I have w anted t o m eet him for as long as I can rem em b er, and I w as so excited t hat 21CL g ave m e t he op p or t unit y t o b e som ew here w here t hat w as p ossib le. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Ind iana Univer sit y in Bloom ing t on, IN in fall t o d oub le m a jor in Mat hem at ics and Med ia (Cinem a Concentrat ion, Ed it ing Specializat ion)

Eddi e Ri ch ardson- Cam p b ell Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21CL has g iven m e t he op p or t unit y t o m eet d iver se st udent s from across t he state of Geor g ia, net w or k wit h talented p rofessionals, and estab lish g reat fr iend ship s. As a result 21CL I've g ained a new per spect ive on t he w or ld around m e, and t hroug h t his or g anizat ion I w as even afforded t he op p or t unit y t o ap ply for and receive a p aid inter nship wit h Tur ner. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite 21CL m em or y w as w hen ever yone b eg an chant ing m y nam e d ur ing t he SYLI g rad uat ion. This m om ent m ade m e realize just how close I had g otten wit h all of m y fr iend s t hroug hout t he week, and as a result I will never for g et t he m em orab le exper iences we shared d ur ing t his leader ship inst it ute. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Har vard Univer sit y in t he fall t o st ud y econom ics,

Bai l ey M cCl ai n-A v ant- Sout h Gwinnett Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21CL has inspired m e t o b e t he b est leader I can, w hile helping ot her s lear n how t o lead . By developing som e cr ucial soft skills, I have b een fully p rep ared t o take on t he w or ld in a p rofessional sett ing . Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite 21CL m em or y w as lear ning ab out how t o eat at t he p rofessional d inner. It w as hilar ious b ecause none of us knew w hat we were d oing and hear ing ab out som e of t he r ules and reg ulat ions of t he d inner. Having som e of m y peer s ask q uest ions and joke ab out t he d inner w as som et hing t hat m ade m e feel included . Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing t he Univer sit y of Pennsylvania in t he fall t o st ud y b usiness econom ics and p ub lic p olicy.

Ni av anni Fl ow ers- Gr iffin Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21CL opened m e eyes t o new ideas and t hing s t hat I can accom plish in t he fut ure. Attend ing t he b ot h t he leader ship at SYLI and at Tur ner helped m e lear n t o net w or k and how t o interact wit h ot her s in a b usiness sett ing . It has helped m e b ecom e a b etter leader. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- Attend ing t he Tur ner inst it ute and b eing ab le t o g o b ehind t he scenes and w at ch t he ob ey your t hir st com m ercial. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Bened ict Colleg e in t he fall t o st ud y m ar ket ing .

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K ati e Roth - Roswell Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- This or g anizat ion has show n m e t he im p or tance and p ower of m y voice. 21CL has allowed for m e t o com e out of m y com for t zone and b elieve in m y ow n ab ilit ies. I have ap plied ever yt hing t hat I lear ned at m y week at TVYMI t o m y ever yd ay life t o b ecom e a b etter leader and per son t o t hose around m e. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite m em or y wit h 21st Cent ur y Leader s w ould b e w hen we went b ehind t he scenes at CNN. It chang ed m y out look on jour nalism and m ade m e realize t hat it w as a p rofession t hat I w anted t o p ur sue. Being at CNN t he d ay of t he special elect ion really exem plified how intense jour nalism can b e and how im p or tant it is for t he p ub lic. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing t he Geor g ia State Univer sit y in t he fall t o st ud y Jour nalism and Pub lic Policy.

Gregory Smi th - A.R. Johnson Healt h Science and Eng ineer ing Mag net School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21st Cent ur y Leader s has taug ht m e t he q ualit ies of a g reat leader, and has helped m e b uild up on im p or tant soft skills such as com m unicat ion, b usiness et iq uette, and team -w or k. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite m em or y w as g oing on t he out d oor ropes cour se d ur ing Ear t hCare. W hile on t he out d oor ropes cour se, I m ade som e really g ood fr iend ship s. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing t he United States Naval Academ y in t he fall t o st ud y Mechanical Eng ineer ing .

M eagan Hodge- St ockb r id g e Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- I'm so hap py t hat I had t he ab ilit y t o b e a p ar t of 21st Cent ur y Leader s. The exper iences I had really opened m e up t o b e m ore social. It really showed m e t he im p act t hat connect ions have t hroug hout m y w alk in life. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite m em or y w as act ually t he m eet and g reat (Sum m er Or ientat ion) we d o b efore t he sum m er p rog ram s star t . This p ast year, I went int o t his event t hinking I w as g oing t o talk t o people I m et t he p revious year or t he people from m y school. But I m et ab out 10 new people w ho all had such d ifferent per sonalit ies. I am st ill in contact wit h t hem all and I now know at least t w o people from t hat event w ho are g oing t o t he sam e colleg e as m e. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Spellm an Colleg e t his fall t o st ud y Chem ical Eng ineer ing .

Wi l l Peni nger- Peachtree Rid g e Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- I have lear ned so m uch ab out how t o p roper ly net w or k, b uild relat ionship s, and use t hose relat ionship s on b usiness p roject s. Many of m y leader ship q ualit ies have developed t hroug h t his excellent p rog ram and I w ould recom m end t his t o anyone! Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- Me and m y g roup from t he Tur ner Voices Yout h Med ia Inst it ute g ot t o g o t o t he GA Tech p ool. Even t houg h t he w ater slides were closed , we st ill had a g reat t im e! I rem em b er talking t o som e of t he GA Tech st udent s in t he sauna wit h a couple of m y peer s. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing t he Univer sit y of Nor t h Geor g ia t his fall t o st ud y W ild life Biolog y. Sarah Scott- Har r is Count y Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- Being a p ar t of 21 Cent ur y Leader s has taug ht m e how t o interact and net w or k m ore effect ively wit h ind ivid uals in a social and b usiness sett ing . I lear ned valuab le skills and q ualit ies w hile attend ing t he Ear t hCare sum m er p rog ram t hat have shaped m e int o a m ore effect ive leader and com m unicat or. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- Being ab le t o visit Plant Scherer and see all of t he d ifferent p rocesses t hat take place in t he plant and lear n m ore ab out t he environm ental aspect s related t o a coal plant . Also, b eing a p ar t of t he Ear t hCare p rog ram helped m e t o m ake fr iend ship s wit h ind ivid uals w ho have t he sam e p assions and d r ive as m e and I will alw ays cher ish t hat . Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Aub ur n Univer sit y in t he fall t o st ud y Architect ure. El i zab eth Testamark - Collins Hill Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21CL is a per fect place t o b ecom e str uct ured as a per son. The people t here honest ly b uild up and encourag e and also g uide t hose selected t o p ar t icip ate. I?ve lear ned a lot ab out net w or king and step ping out and b eing b old in g eneral. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite m em or y is w hen we had t he op p or t unit y t o com e up wit h a cool desig n for CNN. It w as cool b ecause I had t he op p or t unit y t o w or k wit h ot her s. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing The Colleg e of Wooster as a Posse Scholar, t o st ud y Music Therapy. Rose M oss- Effing ham Count y Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21CL has helped m e wit h m y com m unicat ion and team b uild ing skills. It has also assisted m e in fur t her ing m y knowled g e on how t o b e a leader. I am g rateful for t he fun, m em or ies, and fr iend ship s t hat I g ained from m y t hree year s of p ar t icip at ing t hroug h t he 21 Cent ur y Leader s Sum m er Inst it utes. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite 21CL Mem or y w as m eet ing st udent s like m e from across t he state of Geor g ia w ho had a p assion t o b e a leader. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Vir g inia Tech in t he fall t o st ud y Build ing Constr uct ion. 30 30

Correggi o Peagl er- Greater At lanta Chr ist ian School How 21CL Im p acted Me- I w as b lessed t o have g one t o SYLI and one winter sum m it . Each event stressed t he im p or tance of not just having a com p any b rand , b ut also having a per sonal b rand . I ut ilize t hese skills in t he w ay t hat I car r y m yself and net w or k wit h people from all w alks of life. I have also b een ab le t o m eet m any am azing people t hat cont inue t o have im p act in m y life. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite m em or y w as at or ientat ion. As t he g roup star ted sing ing , ?Alive, aw ake, aler t , and m ot ivated ?, I felt a sense of b elong ing b eing sur rounded by like-m inded people. Fut ure Plans- I will b e st ud ying Biolog y at Nor t h Carolina A&T State Univer sit y on a full academ ic scholar ship. The Lewis and Elizab et h Dow d y Scholar ship is one of t he t op scholar ship s aw arded t o trailb lazing hig h school senior s wit h a defined p ur p ose t o m ake a d ifference in t he w or ld . Eth an Santi ago- Mill Creek Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21CL has im p acted m e in a w ay m ost people cannot descr ib e. It has overall led m e t o b ecom e a b etter leader and also allowed m e t o b e ab le t o see m yself in a d ifferent lig ht . I not iced after t he 21CL sum m it s and leader ship p rog ram s, I w as ab le t o b r ing b ack d ifferent op p or t unit ies t o m y com m unit y. Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- My favor ite m em or y of 21CL w as t he w hole ad m ission p rocess int o t he Sum m er Yout h Leader ship Inst it ute at t he Goizueta b usiness school at Em or y. Throug hout t he g roup inter view p rocess, I lear ned so m uch ab out how t o t hink on m y feet and how t o resp ond wit h wit . Later t hat sp r ing t he 21CL Sum m er Or ientat ion w as a g reat t im e b ecause I w as ab le t o m ake fr iend s wit h ot her s I w ould have never m et wit hout 21CL. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Vir g inia Tech in t he fall t o st ud y Neuroscience. Wi l l i am Yei ser- Brookst one School How 21CL Im p acted Me- It helped m e realize not only how im p or tant our environm ent is, b ut how im p or tant is t o speak out and how t o w ait for op p or t unit ies b ut also m ake t hem . I ab solutely loved b eing ab le t o net w or k wit h so m any people, and it showed m e t hat w hen I g o off t o colleg e and g et a fair ly fresh star t t o not b e som eone I am not b ut w ho I am . Don't b e ord inar y and flow along wit h t he crow d . Do w hat m akes you extraord inar y....and t hat is b e you! Favor ite 21CL Mem or y- Playing Shar ks and Minnow s in t he field Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Young Har r is Colleg e in t he fall t o st ud y Hist or y, wit h an annual Young Har r is Scholar ship and a one-t im e Bur g er King Scholar ship. Nf i ni ti Pi erce- St ockb r id g e Hig h School How 21CL Im p acted Me- 21CL has im p acted m y life by b r ing ing m ore of t he leader in m e out . It helped m e b ecom e a lot m ore com for tab le speaking t o crow d s and b uild ing m y confidence as a w hole. Also, it helped m e lear n how t o m ar ket m yself and net w or k wit h ot her s. Favor ite 21CL Mem or yW hile I w as at Ear t hCare t he sum m er b efore m y junior year, m y favor ite m em or y w ould b e t he Ber r y Out d oor Leader ship Develop m ent . The leader s and kid s g ot t o have fun and I lear ned m ore ab out t hem and g ot t o know t hem as a per son. Fut ure Plans- I plan on attend ing Vald osta State Univer sit y in t he fall t o st ud y Nur sing .

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A genuineleader is not a searcher f or consensusbut a molder of consensus-" Dr. Martin Luther KingJr.