Paducah Tilghman has many students who go above and beyond when it comes to academics and extracurricular activities. Youth LEAD is a program hosted by the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce to expose students with leadership potential to businesses and organizations around the county. The 2021-2022 Tilghman students selected for the program include Aneeza Ali, Kate Bidwell, Abby Brown, Riley Darnell, Leon dos Remedios, Alicia Durfee, Addie Franklin, Meghan Gruber, Madison Patel, Maya Romanak, Nathaniel Skinner and Abigail Wurth.

Each month, these students will focus on a certain industry and learn from local professionals about that topic. The six topics are as follows: human needs and service learning, communication and career development, business and economy, law and government and healthcare. Not only is the purpose of the program to obtain leadership skills, but it’s also to showcase the wonderful aspects of Paducah. Each member of the program is encouraged to come back to the community after college because they are the young, bright minds that will run the city in the future.

In addition to the sessions that are held once a month, the participants are expected to complete an individual project that heavily emphasizes the six topics of the program. Also, each student is required to give a presentation in front of the class about an experience that he/she thinks of as an achievement.

Youth LEAD is a great program that allows students to interact with people from other schools and get involved with the community. Furthermore, the networking that is done provides these young leaders with valuable connections. The activities designed and hosted by the program help build teamwork skills that will prepare them for the future. All in all, Youth LEAD is a great asset for students who want to learn and build useful skills.