Facing the Giant

Stepping out of your comfort zone whether you are a soon to be senior in high school or a senior adult is never the easiest thing to do, but leadership is about embracing the challenge and facing the giant. Today we began our first full day of the Youth Leadership Oklahoma experience and within minutes friendships and connections were beginning to blossom. From large cities to small towns, this group consists of students from a variety of backgrounds with incredible accomplishments and ambitions. It is exciting to watch them connect with other leaders who may share their passions or who may have that different opinion worth listening to.

We ventured into Norman, OK to the OU Challenge Course for some team building activities including ice breakers, athletic challenges, and more. The students were divided into two large groups for the low-course activities in the morning.

             

After completing the morning activities, we sat together and enjoyed a great lunch provided by Jason's Deli. The students were talking amongst themselves about their high school leadership activities, interests, and probably the occasional idea of how they were going to change the world (which I truly believe this group can and will do!)

Now it was time for the high-ropes course, the gargantuan giant of fear for some! This challenge day is always interesting because personalities really start to appear between those who are the adventurous, rush to the top, set their eyes on the mission and accomplish it quickly type and the meticulous, patient, analytical type who hones into each step with great thought. However, no matter the approach, one cannot accomplish the high-ropes course without the team surrounding them on the ground. To me, this represents the support a leader must have no matter what kind of position they may be in. Whether the leader may be in a time of stress or celebration, the team on the ground is a constant reminder that relying on the support of others contributes to leadership in a great way.

During the time at the high-ropes course, I was able to talk to a group of ten or so students about their experiences in high school and their aspirations for future. I sat there thinking that three years ago during my YLOK week I had no idea the opportunities Youth Leadership Oklahoma would open up for me at Oklahoma State University and elsewhere. Returning as an intern I am able to speak from experience of the opportunity this program creates for each and every individual this week. Each of these students will grow from high school leaders, to campus leaders, to community and state leaders, and beyond. Throughout our conversations today I could sense that these students cared for something deeper than themselves or personal success, they truly cared for others and the future of our state.

We soon finished up our afternoon at the OU Challenge Course and made our way to the Sarkeys Foundation for dinner. Sarkeys is a nonprofit charitable foundation that supports the activities of public charities through direct grants and educational opportunities. They were excited to announce to us that they had just recently passed over the 100 Million Dollar mark of charitable giving since their inception.

Following dinner at Sarkeys, we were joined by Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Jim Winchester. He led the students in a You Be the Judge simulation in which they were presented with different cases and they were responsible for deciding the consequences necessary based off of the action. The students were incredibly interactive and actively participated by defending their decisions if challenge. It was a time for great debate and incredible conversation.

After departing from the Sarkeys Foundation we headed to Lawton, OK with our first stop being at Cameron University. Cameron University administrators served some incredible ice cream sundaes.(Parents, I ensure you that your children are being fed-- a lot) 

Dr. Ronna Vanderslice, Vice President for Academic Affairs and proud mom of YLOK Intern Jonna, spoke to the students of the opportunity presented to them through YLOK. She spoke of how this program since its inception has had over 83% of graduates continue to live in Oklahoma and serve in various areas. This was an incredible statistic and it made me realize the continuous impact this program will have on the lives of so many for years after the trip ends. It was an incredible presentation and we were so thankful for their hospitality!

This was our last stop for the night and we soon made our to our hotel for the evening in Lawton, OK. Tomorrow morning we will be departing from the hotel at 5:45am to head to Ft. Sill for our morning of physical training and touring the facilities. The students are anxious (and I definitely was too), but the experience is an incredible eye opener to the sacrifice that so many make to defend the freedoms that we all enjoy. I am excited to see what the students learn tomorrow at Ft. Sill and I cannot wait to share our daily journey with you!