The 15 members of the 2023-24 Student Leadership Vance program finished up earlier this month with a graduation ceremony. And although that May 1 graduation marked the completion of the program, Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilkerson said she believes it’s just the beginning for these high school students who have a deeper appreciation for their community and the things that Henderson and Vance County offer.

Wilkerson said she told the group at graduation that if they only took away one thing, she hoped that it would be that they speak positively about their community. “Positivity is the name of the game,” she said on Wednesday’s TownTalk.

Modeled after the Leadership Vance program, this program gave students a chance to visit area businesses, agencies and organizations that operate in the city and county, as well as observe government and civic engagement activities.

Vanessa Jones led the program, and Wilkerson called her the program’s “fearless leader” and a perfect fit. Retired from Vance-Granville Community College, “she’s been around students all her life” and undaunted by the prospect of working with teenagers.

Feedback from the participants – students from four different schools across the county – ranged from “I never knew that existed” to “never knew we had that here,” Wilkerson said.

“I challenged each of them to spread that knowledge” about their community, she added.

A 2022 pilot program worked with 8th graders, but Wilkerson said that age group proved to be a little young, so this year’s program was limited to 10th and 11th graders. “By the end of session one, the kids were already exchanging cell phone numbers, so that was a ‘win,’” she said.

One of the goals of the leadership program is to bring students from different schools together. Wilkerson said she’s already fielded calls from Kerr-Vance Academy to be included in next year’s program.

Jayden Watkins said, “I had the chance to go behind the scenes of Henderson, learn history about our city that I hadn’t learned before but most of all understand how each person in our city is important…Every position matters because every person’s job is important to make our community work in unity!”

For participant Kate Seifert, the program contributed to her growth in leadership skills, community awareness and empathy toward others.

“The Student Leadership Institute gave me the opportunity to connect with other students while learning about the inner workings and hidden aspects of Henderson and Vance County,” Seifert said. It was incredibly inspiring and eye-opening to see firsthand all of the people who work behind the scenes to help our town to grow and thrive.”

She said she especially enjoyed the health and community day, when the group toured the Boys and Girls Club, the SAM Child Advocacy Center, Maria Parham Health, Henderson YMCA, and Abria’s Chase Foundation. “Throughout this day, I gained a deeper understanding of services in Henderson that help us stay connected, healthy, and supported as a community.”

Watkins said the program has helped him “discover the greatness that lies within Henderson. Most teenagers like me when I was younger, don’t think Henderson is a place we want to live in after college,” he said.

But, he added, Henderson “needs my generation to bring the greatness to the forefront by evolving as leaders.”

Here is a list of students by school who completed the program:

Henderson Collegiate

Jenifer Aguilar

Kameron Bullock

Mya Fisher

Jayden Watkins

Faith Wimbush

Vance County High School

Alajiah Alston

Choice Puryear

Harold Timberlake

Vance Charter School

Noah Bean

Joshua Jones

Kate Seifert

Bridger Stewardson

Crossroads Christian

Anderson Boyd

Rebecca Fowler

Ava Wade

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