Leader Profile: 2019 Today’s Youth, Tomorrow’s Leaders
We celebrate the forty-one area high school students who took a week out of their summer to grow their individual capacities for leadership in our community through LT’s annual Today’s Youth, Tomorrow’s Leaders (TYTL) program. The purpose of TYTL is to START YOUNG to engage high-school-aged leaders from throughout the community in working together across the state line and across districts for community excellence, pride and progress.
TYTL was begun in 1995 by the Leadership Texarkana Alumni Association as part of a Youth Initiatives of the organization “…to foster leadership among the youth of our community.” The name and acronym “Today’s Youth, Tomorrow’s Leaders (TYTL)” came from the students who participated in 1998. TYTL is presented in partnership with the four in-city school districts. TYTL has always been free to students, with TYTL Program Partners jointly supporting one-half of the program costs and with Leadership Texarkana providing the remaining half. Students in grades 10 and 11 are invited to apply each spring; applications are made available through school counselors.
We also celebrate the adult leaders for the program: 2019 TYTL Chair Amy Roberts and TYTL Facilitators, Tonya Dunphy and Dr. Sara Lawrence, (all graduates of the Leadership Texarkana class program) who put together a week full of activities and opportunities for leadership learning that will took the group throughout Texarkana, as they engage key leaders in conversation, discover little known Texarkana treasures, contribute to the Bringle Lake Art Project and throw a party for fellow teens at Front Street Plaza on Thursday. It promises to be a productive and fun week!” The students also utilized the Strengths Finder survey by Tom Rath to learn about their individual strengths and how to use those strengths to work with others. The program concluded on Thursday with a reception and brief program at the Sullivan Center on the TISD campus at 5:30 PM where the students will be sharing the highlights of the TYTL week. The community is invited to attend.
Students participating in 2019 TYTL included:
Arkansas High: Madison Atchley, Vanessa Floyd, Maria Galvan Labrada, Amari Jordan, Mya Ragland, Michael Roberts, Broderick Walton, Nicholas Watson
Veritas Academy: Cole Herberg, Karleigh McCraw
Liberty-Eylau High: Alyssa Beckham, Kamryn Brown, Trey Carr, Mackenzy Lyons, McCenzie Murphy, Caleb Neal, Najah Seaton, Chelsea Simmons, Danielle Thomas, Taylor Williams
Pleasant Grove High: Connor Hornsby, April McDowell, Dallin Platt, Simren Pokhrel, Carson Rhodes, Carson Sanders, Emma Sanderson, Delia Tuttlebee
Texas High: Megan Harrison, Zane Johnston, Sarah Lingle, Nathan Morriss, Autumn Parrott, Evelyn Patterson, Reagan Potts, Janie Rounds, Lily Sewell, Macy Sloan, Jenna Woodard, Kate Woodard, Rhett Young