Coal City High School sudents selected for summer leadership conferences

Coal City High School sophomores Sydney Larson and Cade Poyner have been selected to represent their school and expand on their leadership skills this summer at two of the largest leadership development seminars.

Larson will attend the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference at Loyola University in early June. At the same time, Poyner will be at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington for the Illinois Leadership Seminar. The two sophomores were nominated by their teachers based on their leadership, character and academics.

“This is such a great opportunity and honor for both of these students,” high school guidance counselor Erin Dransfeldt said.

During her attendance at the HOBY Conference, Larson will join the other attendees in sessions focused on personal, group and service leadership. Through these sessions, they are encouraged to continue having a positive influence on their schools and community, and all participants are challenged to complete 100 hours of community service in the year after the conference.

HOBY was established as a nonprofit organization in 1958, and students from across Illinois have been participating in a statewide program for more than 45 years.

During his attendance at the Illinois Leadership Seminar, Poyner will join fellow Illinois high school students in sessions and programming focused on personal responsibility, volunteerism, social and community issues, and open-minded analysis.

The objective of the summer program is developing each participant’s leadership skills in a way that maximizes their own strengths and the strengths of others.

Both Poyner and Larson are involved in numerous activities at the high school including athletics and extracurricular organizations.