Rockdale salutes RYL 2019 class members

Rockdale Youth Leadership (RYL) celebrated the development of another cohort of young leaders with a graduation ceremony on April 29 at Rockdale Career Academy.

The eight-month program, modeled after the Leadership Rockdale program by the Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce, is conducted by Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) and the Chamber.

High school sophomores who participate in the program learn about the industries, institutions, government agencies, and community in Conyers-Rockdale and Georgia. Participants hone leadership skills, receive networking opportunities, and often go on to become student leaders during their junior and senior years at RCPS. Graduates also will be able to wear a special cord at their high school graduation signifying they are a Rockdale Youth Leadership graduate.

The RYL 2019 graduates are pictured with Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce Education Committee Chair Leigh Gant of Georgia United Credit Union; RCPS Chief Officer for Safe Schools and Student Affairs, Dr. Garrett Brundage; and RYL advisors DJ Youngblood, Deborah Neason, and Susan Paul Smith. The graduates of the program are:

Ava Bailey (Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology)

Niya Baskett (RMSST)

Athena Beharry (Rockdale County High School)

Kyla Belfon (Salem High School)

Terissa Black (SHS)

Devin Brookins (Heritage High School)

Trinity Butler (RCHS)

Taylor Curtis (RMSST)

Layla Dent (RCHS)

Shanice Edwards (RCHS)

Malea Gant (RCHS)

Nicole Gore (RCHS)

Dymone Kelly (SHS)

Mackenzie Kennelly (RMSST)

Madison Lee (RMSST)

Madeline Lombard (RMSST)

Emma MacDonald (RMSST)

Charles Malone (HHS)

Lauren Mapp (HHS)

Jordynn Middlebrooks (HHS)

Azia Mitchell (RMSST)

Elesia Murphy (SHS)

Marisa Murray (HHS)

Danielle Nguyen (RMSST)

Sydney Palmer (RMSST)

Joshua Peacock (HHS)

Grant Preiss (HHS)

Chassidy Raines (HHS)

Ryan Richardson (HHS)

Jada Robinson (HHS)

Marsha Russell (RMSST)

Joy-Marie Salmon (RCHS)

Josephine Slotnik (RMSST)

Arielle Thomas (RCHS)

Olivia Tonpea (RMSST)

Kynnedy Turner (RMSST)

Kyrsten Turner (RMSST)

Joseph  Williams, Jr. (HHS)

Gabrielle Wood (RMSST)

For more information about RYL or how to apply for the 2019-2020 program, contact tmaddox@rockdale.k12.ga.us or visit www.rockdaleschools.org/ryl