Congratulations to Our 2022-23 Youth Leadership St. Louis Graduates!

Becky RasmussenNews

YLSL 2022-23 Graduates

This week we had the opportunity to celebrate our newest class of Youth Leadership St. Louis graduates as they concluded their 2022-23 program year.

This year’s cohort explored a variety of topics and regional issues, including criminal justice, education, diversity and inclusion, health and wellness, economic development, and housing, all while building valuable leadership skills in critical thinking, group facilitation, problem-solving, teamwork and public speaking.

Here was what some of the students had to say about their experience:

  • “FOCUS has done a great job teaching me to be comfortable outside of my comfort zone. Every exercise we did encouraged me to be confident and trust myself when put on the spot. FOCUS taught me that it is okay to be vulnerable and that is what comes with being a leader. I am incredibly grateful for this experience and I have truly had the best time.”
  • “I thought I was a strong leader before I started this program, but I have genuinely learned more than I ever thought I would. I have experienced so many new things that I would not have gotten the opportunity to hear about and witness without becoming familiar with all the diverse youth in YLSL.”
  • “YLSL helped me learn more about the recurring issues around the St. Louis region. It exposed me to diverse perspectives and I got to associate with different individuals who had great stories to connect with.”
  • “Connecting with my peers through YLSL not only helped me gain confidence in social settings, but also made me a lot of different friends from different backgrounds.”

Congratulations to our 2022-23 Youth Leadership St. Louis graduates from the following schools/organizations!

Affton High School
Bishop DuBourg High School
Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis: St. Louis Internship Program
Chaminade College Preparatory School
Cor Jesu Academy
Crossroads College Preparatory School
Francis Howell Central High School
Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri
Kirkwood High School
Ladue Horton Watkins High School
Nerinx Hall
Saint Louis University High School
St. Mary’s High School
Ursuline Academy
Vitendo 4 Africa

A special thank you to this year’s presenters and facilitators for sharing their time and expertise, and to our program day hosts!
Jasmine Adams, The Aspen Institute
Dr. Bart Andrews, Behavioral Heath Response
Kim Beardslee, Nestlé Purina
Kelli Braggs, MSW, M.Div., Bridge of Hope Ministries
Judge Kelly C. Broniec, MO Court of Appeals
Tyller Cathey, Nestlé Purina
Marissa Cohen, Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council
Colleen Daum, Covenant House
Lisa Dollar, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Shawntelle Fisher, The SoulFisher Ministries
Judge Philip Hess, MO Court of Appeals
Ana Hernandez Kent, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Dan Koehler, Nestlé Purina
Danika Krugh, Nestlé Purina
Laumeier Sculpture Park
Jaqui Melton, BJC HealthCare
Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District
Nestlé Purina PetCare Company
Judge Angela Turner Quigless, MO Court of Appeals
Ranken Technical College
St. Louis Boys & Girls Club Teen Center of Excellence
Judge John P. Torbitzky, MO Court of Appeals
University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy
Wyman Center

 

YLSL Supporters - 2023