Three local high school students honed their leadership skills at a recent camp.

Braden Davenport and Taylor McManus of Thorsby High School, and Lacee Wallace of Maplesville High School, were sponsored by the Rotary Club of Chilton County to attend Rotary District 6880’s Rotary Youth Leadership Awards camp from March 26-29 at Camp ASCCA on Lake Martin.

The three participants were chosen from among several local applicants by the local Rotary Club.

“We’re honored to be able to send local students to this leadership camp each year,” said Stephen Dawkins, president of the Rotary Club of Chilton County and managing editor for The Clanton Advertiser. “These students learn skills that will benefit them the rest of their lives–and, by extension, help them improve their schools and communities.”

RYLA attendees come from across the Rotary district, which covers the southern half of Alabama.

Participants hear from community and Rotary leaders on a variety of topics, including leadership fundamentals, ethics, effective communication, problem solving, conflict management, and community and global citizenship.

“They had a lot of very respectable, successful people there,” Davenport said. “It was neat hearing how they’ve come up in the world–their take on how to be a leader.”

Davenport said his favorite speaker was Alan Wallace, a financial consultant in Montgomery, while McManus singled out Allison Wetherbee, a Camp ASCCA former attendee and current employee who has no arms or legs.

When not hosting RYLA, Camp ASCCA, or Alabama’s Special Camp for Children and Adults, provides camping experiences and therapeutic recreation for children and adults with disabilities.

The RYLA attendees got a taste of the difficulties faced by those with special needs when teams were tasked with building a tower out of balloons–while each camper was limited by a “disability.”

McManus said she suffered from asthma during the exercise, so she couldn’t blow up the balloons, while other teammates had limitations ranging from broken bones to latex allergies.

McManus and Davenport were randomly selected as members of a team of about 10 campers.

“A lot of it comes down to communication,” Davenport said about the messages from the speakers and exercises the students participated in. “That’s something a lot of people aren’t up to par on. Being in charge isn’t about being in control; it’s listening to people and letting them lean on their strong suits. They challenged you mentally and physically.”

All three of the local attendees are juniors at their respective schools.

Wallace couldn’t be reached for comment.

McManus said she made several new friends, including a fellow camper who also plans to attend Auburn University like McManus.

“It was really cool: People that you just met two days ago were there cheering you on during the activities,” she said. “We talked about getting together again some time soon.”