16-year-old scholar shines in youth leadership camp

16-year-old scholar shines in youth leadership camp

Just keep dreaming. Never let fear keep you from the game. Always keep your feet on the ground and remain humble.”

Shari Julla Gonzalez, 16, shared her thoughts on how to become leader during the graduation and awarding ceremony of the Ramon Aboitiz Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Young Minds Academy (YMA) on Oct. 28 at the Casino Espanol.

Gonzalez, a YMA scholar and a first year Mass Communications student of St. Theresa’s College, has just won the “Bridging Leader” Award over 82 other YMA scholars.

The RAFI selection group said Gonzalez was a good leader to her team, who implemented the Gawad Kalinga Women’s Development Center Project.

Gonzalez was described to have encouraged and inspired her other team members to help 40 unemployed women residents of Gawad Kaling Mananga Village in Talisay City.

According to Rafi, Gonzalez was chosen because they see in her the nine pillars of character and leadership that a bridge leader should possess during the whole training project development and internship from March to August this year.

These pillars are respect, responsibility, citizenship, caring, leadership, God-centeredness, trustworthiness, humility and integrity.

The Young Minds Academy is RAFI’s way of training select youths to become leaders.

“The youth are still an indispensable actor in nation-building. The Young Minds Academy provides the opportunity for the youth to be of service. I am hoping that the scholars will carry forward the lessons that they have learned to enhance their competence and character.” RAFI Member of the Board of Trustees Mikel Aboitiz said.

Out of 155 applicants, 83 applicants were given the privilege to be YMA scholars under a “screening and selection process”.

The scholars had their learning sessions (training), project development and internship from March to August at the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center.

Another scholar, Jovel Clark Contratista, was given the “John Ramon Aboitiz Medal for Personal Excellence” award.

Contratista, who is a Cebu Institute of Technology-University student, was one of the team members of the Yuta para sa Yuta project where the team provided livelihood and helped strengthen urban poor organization to secure their land titles in sitio Alaska, barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.

The scholars were exposed to real issues and concerns in the community through experiential and situated-based learning approaches adopted by RAFI for the program in line with this year’s YMA’s theme “poverty and social welfare.”

The scholars were required to come up with team projects to address problems related to poverty and social welfare

Out of 17 project models, nine projects were approved and 83 YMA scholars graduated. Nine scholars received a “certificate of participation” while 74 other scholars received “certificates of recognition.”

RAFI, however, named the “Green L.E.A.F.: An Ecologized Livelihood Enhancement Approach in Farming” as the best project submitted by the scholars.

The project involved developing the organic and agricultural practices and providing livelihood opportunities for the 15 farmers in barangay barangay Canbantug, Argao in southern Cebu.

The team partnered with Mag-uugmad Foundation Inc., who became the scholars’ mentors in implementing the project.

“All of us need to land a destination, a plan and a purpose in our lives. I challenge you all to build a purpose in your life to plan ahead.” RAFI President Roberto Aboitiz said.  Correspondent Rhea Ruth V. Rosell