SERVICE
Creating a Legacy of Leadership BY SARABETH BROWNROBIE
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t was lunchtime during YouthFest 2019 and Dominick Rivera was holding court on the porch. With his easy smile and genial demeanor, he had the whole crew laughing. Rivera is part of Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Teen Leadership Program, and Caitlin Speigle, Camp Shawnee coordinator, will tell you that he has always drawn the attention of his peers. “We thought he’d be a good fit for the program because he brings contagious energy to everything he does, and was always enthusiastic about camp,” Speigle remembered. “He was showcasing leadership skills from his first summer, and we figured the program would help him learn how to focus all that energy into being an amazing, engaging leader.” Rivera first came to camp at age 13 as a kid that felt like an outsider. His experiences there made a huge difference in his confidence at that point in his life. He felt included by his counselors and his love of comic books and action heroes was accepted and encouraged. It was also a place where he felt led to God. Rivera explained, “I wasn’t really as big with God, but when I came to camp, I grew into it like it was part of my life. It’s changed me. Because I used to be a troubled person and coming here switched me over.”
Programs like Teen Leadership, to which Rivera has now progressed, are critical in Kentucky where 47 percent of children are living in low-income families and nearly 10,000 are living in foster care, according to Kentuck Youth Advocates.With a region that faces so much instability, CAP has remained a consistent source of support for over 50 years. Speigle realizes the importance of this program in the lives of youth who have chosen to participate. Teen Leadership creates a space where teens can stay connected to the ethos of camp, a place where they feel safe and encouraged. Here, they have a chance to make mistakes and learn from them. During the school year, the participants take part in leadership retreats, volunteer opportunities, and social activities geared toward building leadership skills and
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The Mountain Spirit Spring/Summer 2020
Dominick Rivera (green shirt) and Devin Sword take time out to have fun together. They both enjoy their time in CAP’s Teen Leadership Program. confidence. “We give them the opportunity to practice scary things like job interview skills in a safe environment with people they trust and who care deeply about them and their success,” Speigle explained. Rivera is taking the lessons that he’s learned to heart. Last yeat, he gave up his spring break to repair homes with CAP for people in his community. It was the first year that teens from CAP programming took part in YouthFest, CAP’s alternative spring break trip that brings youth from around the nation to help people in need in Appalachia.
