Memory Shuffield found himself answering one question more than others during the first year of the Oktibbeha Young Leaders program.
That question, he said, was simple — what is Oktibbeha Young Leaders? As a member of the program’s inaugural class, Shuffield didn’t have any prior years’ examples to point to. So, he said, he looked to the program and the opportunities it provided him and his 19 classmates to find his answer.
Shuffield’s answer came in three parts — he said the program is a reason to be thankful, a reason to smile and a reason to love and be loved, in the companionship with fellow class members.
“Even though taking a break from your routine once a month sounds insignificant, I promise you it is not,” Shuffield said. “Stepping outside of the classroom and into the community is exactly what every student needs. Meeting first responders, elected officials and everyone in between really shows you how diverse a community we have.”
The Starkville Rotary Club hosted graduation at the Mill at MSU on Monday for the Oktibbeha Young Leaders class. Oktibbeha Young Leaders is a program for 10th-grade students from Oktibbeha County’s high schools that was created through a collaboration between the Rotary Club and Greater Starkville Development Partnership. The students meet once a month and participated in activities that ranged from traveling to Jackson to learn about state government to painting a mural downtown.
Jake Goodwin, program coordinator for The Partnership, said Shuffield’s contributions stood out, leading him to be named the inaugural class’ Student of the Year.
“He was a very special student in that he was very outgoing,” Goodwin said. “Many people would say he was the face of this class. He was always willing to ask questions and give his opinion, as well as bringing the team together as a whole.”
Shuffield said the program’s lessons will stay with him as he moves on through life.
“This isn’t just something you go to and come out of not changed,” Shuffield said. “I promise it will be something that sticks with me forever.”
Creating the program
Oktibbeha Young Leaders is inspired by a similar program in Lowndes County, which has been in place for several years.
Marc McGee, the Starkville Rotary Club president who helped establish the Oktibbeha version, said the club wanted to make a program that was focused on high school kids. McGee said the program had been in the works for about three years and came together last year through a mix of Rotary Rodeo funds, a Rotary district grant and scholarships from club members.
Michelle Amos, a member of the Partnership board, said Oktibbeha Young Leaders focuses specifically on bringing together students from across the county and inspiring them to build rapport and understanding.
“We want them to understand that it takes everyone in a community working together to make a community strong,” Amos said. “Everybody has to work hand-in-hand and constantly strive to make it better. If we wait until they leave and come back to try to turn them into leaders, we’re missing an opportunity.”
Goodwin said Oktibbeha Young Leaders will continue to grow and evolve with lessons learned through its first year. However, he said, the inaugural year has set a strong foundation, and the next class, which has 21 students, is already in place.
“I think we did a really good job our first year for making it successful with what we want to focus on for each month,” Goodwin said. “I think that was the most important part — to make sure each month served a purpose and built a leadership skill.”
Amos and McGee said they found it rewarding to see the program’s first class make it through the year.
“I think this is a very proud moment for all of us,” he said. “They come to Rotary once a month to present to us, but to see the impact that they have felt — it’s tremendous.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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