Youth Leadership Retreat Participant Spotlight
Since participating in the VYCC Leadership Retreat last summer, Jessica has moved to Northern California, where she participates in a student exchange program at Humboldt State University. Here, Jessica has really put her Community Leadership Plan into action. Jessica has organized several community events including a vigil to mark the 4th anniversary of the Iraq war and an event for Step it Up Day 2007 to address global climate change.
“The retreat gave me the inspiration and confidence to feel that I could organize people in my community.” Said Jessica of her experience in the 2006 VYCC Leadership Retreat. “The amount of ideas generated by the group at the retreat was mind blowing!”
What’s next for Jessica? After spending the upcoming summer working on a farm back home in Vermont, Jessica plans to participate for a second year in the exchange program at Humboldt State University. She has already been accepted as a Co-director of the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT), a campus organization dedicated to modeling sustainable practices in a residential setting. Jessica is currently volunteering on a CCAT construction crew, where she puts skills learned in the VYCC to use while rebuilding an entire house using sustainable technology. Thanks Jessica, for making such a difference in your community!