The 2014 Advancing Leadership Youth class recently celebrated the completion of their nine-month program with a graduation ceremony hosted by Grace Church in Federal Way.

This year’s graduates are: Emmett Butler, Emily Huynh, Alyssa Leon-Guerrero, Tyler Lum, Mary Lou Paule, Nadia Shibly from Decatur High School; James Black, Jack Bull, Aminata Dolo, Jenesis Garcia, Mohit Sharma, Carolynn Tiweyang from Federal Way High School; Lizette Carpenter, Nahom Yonas from Federal Way Public Academy; Emily Storvick from Fife High School; Cassie Neu from Internet Academy; Justin Kim, Allen Lunde, Lorres Kwan, Autumn Miller, Blake Null, Joseph Park from Thomas Jefferson High School; Carlos Castro, Lily Do, Daisja Flavors, Christina Marshall, Maddie Rogers, Laura Taitano from Todd Beamer High School; Dinh Chung, Kevin Villalobos-Gomez from Career Academy at Truman.

Advancing Leadership Youth, which began in 2004, has been successful in introducing local high school students from highly diverse backgrounds to the components of a healthy community. Participants meet and learn from over 100 local leaders as they develop their own leadership skills over the course of a school year. Students then put their knowledge into practice by planning and implementing a community service project.

This year’s class used their service project to inspire over 75 seventh and eighth grade students to take advantage of their upcoming high school years to stretch themselves, discover their passions and achieve their dreams. As hosts of One Day Your Way, the class visited middle schools around the city, inviting students to join them for free pizza, games and some real talk about taking charge of their education.

The class got to know their young guests during lunch, then persuaded them to do some dancing before settling in for both inspirational and challenging presentations by Erin Jones, Mayor Jim Ferrell, Superintendent Rob Neu and Jerry Korum. After a game and snack break, participants Jaden Zwick and Dylan Detray shared their distinctive high school journeys, encouraging the middle schoolers to stay true to who they and be open to exploring new opportunities.

All graduates of the program still enrolled in high school are eligible to participate in a second-year program, Advancing Youth Leadership 2.0. This program focuses on preparing for the transition from high school to college or career, and includes intensive work with successful professionals from many different business and nonprofit sectors. The 2.0 students also have a unique opportunity to represent their fellow students as they participate in the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee for Federal Way Public Schools.

For more information about Advancing Leadership Youth, visit www.advancingleadership.org.