Six Dorchester County high school students developed community service initiatives, delivered formal presentations, and helped pack 15,500 meals during the 13th annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards conference in Ocean City.
Representing Cambridge-South Dorchester High School were Reimas Halasa, Zaylee Seaman, Lilah Shores, Olivia Fischer, and Dana Sempoalt. Falilat Ibrahim of North Dorchester High School also participated in the weekend event at the Carousel Hotel, hosted by Rotary District 7630, which serves the Eastern Shore and Delaware.
Working in small groups, the students spent the weekend designing community service projects they can implement in their hometowns. On Sunday afternoon, 12 groups presented 15-minute proposals outlining their project goals and strategies for achieving them.
A highlight of the conference was the Meals of Hope service project on Friday evening. In about 90 minutes, 110 student delegates packed 15,500 meals for distribution throughout the Rotary district.
The students brought four boxes of food back to Cambridge to donate to the Salvation Army, One Mission, and a food pantry serving North Dorchester.
Throughout the weekend, delegates also participated in team-building exercises, an egg-drop contest, and a five-minute skit in which they worked through an ethical dilemma using Rotary’s Four-Way Test. Organizers said the activities are designed to strengthen leadership skills and build confidence.
Students heard from speakers on public speaking, polio eradication, human trafficking, suicide and depression awareness, and nursing as a profession. Humanitarian Kenny Wood shared his work drilling wells in African countries to provide access to clean water and sponsoring vision surgeries in the region.
Each group was led by a college-age facilitator who guided discussions and kept participants on schedule. Five facilitators were from Dorchester County: Khloe Kues, Megan Price, Avlynn Bennett, Ta’Tyana Maradiaga, and Maddie Tobat.
Following the conference, the students spoke at a local Rotary meeting about their experiences and the service projects they plan to pursue in their communities.