Thursday, April 20, 2017

SSA INSPIRES FUTURE LEADERS TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS

By TAYLOR HACKETT

Safe School Ambassador members of Washingtonville High School gave a presentation to Junior Leadership Orange Program students. This took place on Wednesday, April 19 at Thomas Bull Memorial Park as part of the JLO students’ final workshop of the year. At this presentation, the SSA members emphasized civic duty and citizenship and how to contribute to one’s community.  In addition, they stressed the importance of using one’s influence to further society in an uplifting and positive manner. The SSA members that presented included Andrea Saladino, Larissa Nguyen, Gabby Arendes, Alex Leonty and Taylor Hackett. 

TAYLOR HACKETT FOR WIZARD WEEKLY
Washingtonville’s Safe School Ambassador Program is run by assistant principal Mrs. Shaw, Health teacher Mr. Lepere and Science teacher Mr. Williams. When asked how Washingtonville’s Safe School Ambassadors were selected to present to the JLO students, Mrs. Shaw explained, “I was contacted by Michael Bark, a youth program technician at the Orange County Youth Bureau regarding the final workshop that the JLO students would do. We have received grant money over the years from the Youth Bureau that has helped to defray the cost of SSA training of new students and facilitators every year at WHS and Michael was my contact there. He was helping to coordinate the JLO workshop and wanted to have representatives present on the topic of Civic Responsibility and Citizenship and reached out to me to see if we were interested in sending some of our students to speak about this very important issue with the 8th grade students in the JLO program.”

The Junior Leadership Organization is a leadership program for eight grade students of Orange County. The program spends seven sessions on education, leadership, orientation, communication, quality of life, volunteerism and leadership. They travel to different places throughout Orange County that help prepare students to be leaders in the community. 

The Board President of the organization is Lt. Col. Kristopher Geis and when asked how the students are selected he replied, “Each middle school throughout Orange County (private and public) issues the applications at the end of 7th grade to apply for the program. Once the board comprised of the OC Youth Bureau and Leadership Orange adults panel the applications they chose typically two from each district.” 

Both groups truly benefitted from this informative and important presentation.  Hopefully the messages that were received will help to eradicate malevolence and inspire benevolence all throughout the county.

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