RYLA Staff Applications

Ella Whiting

Gender – Female

Position(s) Applying For – Junior Counselor (Open to anyone who has attended RYLA as a camper), Photographer (Open to anyone who has attended RYLA as a camper)

Year Participated in RYLA – 2022

Times You’ve Served as Junior Counselor – 0

Home Phone – 308.566.0207

Work Phone – [695]

Cell Phone – [683]

College Phone –

E-mail – ellawhiting2024@gmail.com

City, State – Chappell, NE

School City, State – ,

Why do you want serve in the positions you’ve selected?

I selected to apply for two positions, a junior counselor and a photographer, for two reasons. The first reason is that I strongly believe that there are benefits to any opportunity that comes your way and you should take full advantage of any opportunity. If I could return to RYLA as a junior counselor or a photographer, either way, I would learn and grow to be an even better person, teammate, or friend. As a junior counselor, I hope to lead others in a way that they would also lead themselves, and grow, as well as allow myself to grow during the process. As a camper, I helped lead my group in many ways and I also created a safe environment for other campers to express their emotions and their troubles. I hope to bring back this leadership and safe space for future campers to allow them to get outside of their comfort zone and grow into strong individuals who also have the qualities of teamwork and leadership.

How has your experience as RYLA participante impacted you?

RYLA was life-changing for me. Before experiencing RYLA, I thought it was going to be very comparable to other leadership camps or conferences that I’ve been to. I was wrong. RYLA taught me so many things about myself that have helped me become the best version of myself. Every day I continue to grow in the classroom, on the court, at home, or with friends because of the lessons I was taught at RYLA. I am a team captain on our basketball team and while I was at RYLA, a lot of the time, I found myself thinking of how these things that I was learning could benefit my team and the bonds within my team. I have now taken those lessons and applied them to my everyday life within my team. I have learned how to be a more approachable, open-minded, trustworthy, and honest teammate all because of the benefits I gained from RYLA. I have also learned the importance of my education and how grateful I am to have the opportunity to go to school every day and serve my community outside of school. RYLA was truly an eye-opening experience for me, and I hope that continues future for campers and counselors!

How do you feel you can contribute and grow RYLA?

When I returned home from RYLA, the first thing I did was tell all of my friends to apply to RYLA. I talked about it for weeks and encouraged them to apply, and I still do! However, when I return to RYLA, I hope to bring such positive energy with me and inspire the campers and counselors there to spread the great word about RYLA and Rotary as a whole. RYLA is all about growth as a person. A person within a team, an organization, or just a person who is riding solo. There are so many benefits to attending RYLA and I believe that with my heart and dedication, I will do anything in my power to encourage, inspire, and set an example for those who attend RYLA in hopes they will take what they learned back to their hometown, and apply it within their community.

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