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Rowan Chamber Launches Inaugural “Be an Original” Youth Leadership Program

Youth LR Logo - 2 colors

The Rowan Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the official launch of its new Youth Leadership Rowan program, which will kick off with an opening reception for parents and students on August 19 at the Paul E. Fisher Gateway Building.

Youth Leadership Rowan is designed to empower and inspire the next generation of leaders by equipping young individuals with the skills, knowledge, and experiences necessary to become effective and impactful community leaders. The program was inspired by the Chamber’s Leadership Rowan program for adults, which has been successfully conducted for over 30 years.

“Youth Leadership Rowan hopes to re-enforce the idea that students would be more willing to ‘help their hometown’ when they graduate by providing access to contacts in the business community and skills that can help them in the future,” said Nick Means, Leadership Rowan Chair.

The 19 high school students below have been specially selected to participate in this seven-month innovative leadership program.

  • Carson High School: Wyatt Cornelius and Colson Pless
  • Early College: Retage Elsaid, Deron Rose-Morris, and Luke Wingler
  • East Rowan High School: Cadence Hamilton and Caroline Quick
  • North Rowan High School: Madison Gooch, Rachel Wilkerson, and ChyNue Yang
  • Salisbury High School: Dayami Acevedo-Rogue, Cadeyn Bender, and Finnegan Patrick-Avery
  • South Rowan High School: Jenette Benitez, Sara Culbert, and Anna Shell
  • West Rowan High School: Regan Helmbold, Lucy Shelton, and Virginia Walser

Youth Leadership Rowan starts on September 11, 2024, with an opening retreat at Catawba College, and ends on March 5, 2025, with a graduation and planning day for the next cohort.

The Leadership Rowan Alumni Co-chairs, Nick Means, Angela Alford, and the Youth Leadership Steering Committee, including Dr. Christine Lynn, Erin Moody, Elaine Holden, Holly Teeter, Gemale Black, Kaisha Brown, Adam Clark, and Margaret Young, have worked diligently to plan engaging and informative days for the youth to learn about their city and community. "We believe that young people, our future leaders of the world, have the potential to create positive change in our communities. Our “Be an Original” Youth Leadership Program is designed to nurture this potential and provide the tools and opportunities to develop strong, confident leaders."

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for individuals, organizations, and businesses to invest in our youth as we provide them with an experience to learn, grow, and appreciate Rowan County.

For additional information, contact Dr. Alisha Byrd-Clark, Program Coordinator, at 704-640-7254 or youthlead@rowanchamber.com