FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (July 1, 2010)
Contact: Eric Roberts, YLF Coordinator, 979-458-4168 or txylf@tamu.edu, or Kelsey Johnson, Communications Specialist, 979-862-4990 or kelsey_johnson@tamu.edu
Texas Statewide Youth Leadership Forum Selects 32 High Schoolers with Disabilities for Intensive Summer Training
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – The Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University is pleased to announce the selection of delegates to its 2010 Texas Statewide Youth Leadership Forum (YLF). Thirty-two rising high school juniors and seniors with disabilities from across Texas will attend this year's YLF, to be held Monday, July 26, through Friday, July 30, on the campus of St. Edward’s University in Austin.
The YLF delegates are selected through a competitive application process. Emphasis is placed on the student's demonstration of leadership potential, participation in extra-curricular activities, school and/or community involvement, and the ability to interact well with other students. Geographic location, ethnicity and disability type are also considered so that the YLF represents a diverse group of students.
The 2010 delegates are (listed alphabetically by hometown):
- Shantell Vidaurri, Abilene
- Katie Stone, Blackwell
- Dylan Duncan, Clyde
- Michael Medlock, Clyde
- Henry Sosa, Colorado City
- Johnny Moreno, Deer Park
- Ryan Arreola, El Paso
- Briana Gonzalez, El Paso
- Pedro Lopez, El Paso
- Michelle Martinez, El Paso
- Gustavo Montes, El Paso
- Eddie Quintana, El Paso
- Leonel Rodriguez, El Paso
- Miguel Salas III, El Paso
- Rosa Velasquez, El Paso
- Katharyn Goosmann, Grapeland
- Ranfery Dominguez, Houston
- Breanne Garza, Humble
- Lexie Black, Iola
- Amanda Steet, Keller
- LaBrittany Brown, Lufkin
- Carina Santes, Lufkin
- Angel Alfredo, Pasadena
- Sean Scott, Pasadena
- Robert Scheid, Pflugerville
- Scott Bankhead, Roscoe
- Brandi Sullivan, Roscoe
- Jonathan Roppolo, San Marcos
- Michael Peace, Somerset
- Meagan Cook, Spring
- Jasmine Gentry, Sweetwater
- Lauren Moran, Weatherford
YLF’s goal is to develop youth into leaders who advocate for persons with disabilities and influence policy development. The week’s activities will include a one-day tour of the Capitol with opportunities to meet state legislators, the governor and to hold mock legislative sessions. Training topics will include leadership skills, self-determination, self-advocacy, disability history, legislative process and issues dealing with college preparation, employment preparation and community involvement. See the full schedule of YLF activities.
At the conclusion of YLF, student delegates develop leadership plans that they then implement in their respective communities throughout Texas. Past delegates have reported such acccomplishments as becoming mentors, organizing food, clothing and blood drives, volunteering at childcare centers and doing a presentation on how to apply to medical school. Read more accomplishments.
YLF, which began in California in 1992, is currently active in 38 states. The primary purpose of YLF is to teach young people with disabilities to become leaders and advocates for the disability community. The Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University is working in partnership with the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities and the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services to promote YLF in Texas.
For more information, visit the Texas YLF website at http://txylf.tamu.edu.
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