Minerva juniors attend Rotary leadership conference

Two Minerva High School juniors, Fox Johnson and Kayden Knappenberger, recently returned from an intensive leadership retreat after being selected to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards conference.

The three-day conference, held in Canfield, brought together about 100 high school juniors from across northeast Ohio. The Minerva Local Rotary Club sponsored both students, covering all expenses to support the development of local youth leaders.

Both Johnson and Knappenberger are strong students at Minerva High School, balancing roles as honor students with varsity athletics on the track and cross-country teams, according to Superintendent Mark Scott.

“At RYLA, they participated in collaborative workshops and leadership simulations designed to challenge their communication and problem-solving abilities,” Scott said.

Johnson said the experience changed his perspective on how leaders connect with others.

“RYLA was a very educational experience that taught me a lot about communication,” Johnson said.

“We did many activities that involved communication, and in many of them, we weren’t able to talk. This forced us to find creative ways to communicate without speech. I feel like these exercises helped emphasize the importance of communication. I had a great experience at RYLA, and it gave me more confidence when choosing a college to attend,” he said.

Johnson added that the social environment was equally beneficial.

“Speaking with many students I didn’t know vastly improved my social skills, and I feel it made me a better person overall,” he said.

For Knappenberger, the weekend focused on leadership skills and self-confidence.

“I felt that RYLA was a very educational and beneficial experience. I got a chance to talk and interact with everybody who was there in a multitude of ways. Overall, it was a very interesting and enjoyable weekend as it taught me better ways to be a leader, not just in my school, but in my society as well,” Knappenberger said.

Scott, who serves as both a Minerva Rotary Club member and Minerva Local Schools superintendent, said he has observed their growth firsthand.

“Both Fox and Kayden are outstanding representatives for Minerva High School. I have had the opportunity to watch them grow from elementary school into strong leaders, role models and outstanding young men. I am happy to hear they had a great experience through RYLA,” Scott said.