RELEASE:
Palazzo Hosts Fourth Annual Youth Leadership Summit
Gulfport, MS Congressman Steven Palazzo (MS-04) today hosted his fourth annual Youth Leadership Summit for high school juniors and seniors on the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Jefferson Davis campus. Approximately 400 students from 25 different schools within Mississippi’s Fourth Congressional District participated in the event.
Congressman Steven Palazzo’s statement regarding today’s event:
“These high school students are our future. Whether they decide to work in Congress, law enforcement, pursue a career in medicine, or take an entirely different path, the possibilities are endless for what they can accomplish for our State and Nation. Our job now is to prepare them as best as possible so they can be successful, well-rounded, and productive members of society. That is exactly why I started this leadership summit. I hope each student that attended today walked away more knowledgeable, encouraged, and inspired to be a leader today and in the future.”
The students had the opportunity to hear from and question guest speakers such as Chief of Marine Patrol Keith Davis, Miss Mississippi Hannah Roberts, and Governor Phil Bryant.
Chief Davis spoke to students about failure, urging them to “never give up…never let a person, or event, or action allow you to give up.”
Hannah Roberts talked about her journey to becoming Miss Mississippi and shared her best advice for success stating, “Have goals that are bigger than what you think is possible.”
Our final speaker of the day, Governor Phil Bryant, shared a message about the true meaning of leadership using examples such as Mother Theresa to attest that leadership “is not about power and influence.” Upon the conclusion of the Governor’s speech a student expressed her gratitude to the Governor in front of the entire assembly stating, “On behalf of my school I’d like to say how much we truly appreciate your Christian values and that it means a lot to us that you voice them.”
The participating students were selected by the teachers and administrators of their schools to attend today’s summit. They are chosen based on a criteria of academic performance, community service, involvement in extracurricular activities, and the ability to overcome adversity.
The event also created quite a buzz on social media as students tweeted in questions for the speakers and competed for the best Instagram picture of the day, all of which was tagged using #palazzoleaders.
A full list of attending schools can be found below:
Biloxi High School
Columbia Academy
Columbia High School
D’Iberville High School
Forrest County Agricultural High School
Gautier High School
George County High School
Gulfport High School
Hancock High School
Harrison Central High School
Lamar Christian School
Laurel High School
Long Beach High School
Northeast Jones High School
Ocean Springs High School
Our Lady Academy
Pass Christian High School
Pearl River Central High School
Petal High School
Picayune Memorial High School
St. Martin High School
Vancleave High School
West Harrison High School
West Jones High School
West Marion High School
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10/15/15
Magnolia Tribune
