High School Students Learn What It Takes To Be A Leader

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Over four hundred high school students from across the state came to MSU’s campus to take part in this years state wide Youth Leadership Summit.

The summit is put on by the Mississippi Municipal League.

This years Summit provides students an opportunity to develop leadership skills and connect with their peers throughout the state.

“It’s important because they’re our future and they need to know the importance of what they mean to us and how they’ll one day be running our city, states or nation,” said Laverne Stegall, special projects coordinator for the Mississippi Municipal League.

During the Summit students split up into different groups and visited various workshops.

“My favorite part about today was probably going to the different sessions, the sessions are led by different councils, and I loved how one council took a topic a different way that no one else would have and we got to learn about diversity and thinking,” said Brianna Brown.

Brianna Brown is a senior at Columbus High School.  Brown said she attends this Summit every year, and believes the skills she learned on Saturday, will come in handy when she goes off to college this upcoming Fall.

“It’s very vital to the youth of today because how would we tell the youth what we learned and what we teach if we don’t do it ourselves,” Brown said.

“They’re learning about character, public speaking, and just healthy choices,” Stegall said.

City leaders from throughout the state spoke to the students about the different types of characteristics a leader must posses.

“It’s very influential to see other leaders because you get to see who really represents us and show that they do care about the citizens,” said William Paul Ellis.

Ellis is a junior at Starkville High School, and said the skills he learned on Saturday, he plans on sharing with his classmates at school.

“I definitely think so, I think I learned a lot about how to be a leader, and why you should be a leader and why you need to be a leader,” said Ellis

In the end, the ultimate goal was for the students to develop friendships and walk away learning something new.

“I definitely think so, I think I learned a lot about how to be a leader, and why you should be a leader and why you need to be a leader.”
This is year the ninth year the Mississippi Municipal League has hosted this state wide Summit.