“Right up until the night before I was to leave,” admitted Lynn English junior Evelyn DeLeon, “I was asking myself, what did I sign up for? I got a phone call from Jose (Jurado) who said to me, ‘you have to go because you talked me into going’. I  figured- what the heck!”

Meaghan, a freshman at English, heard about RYLA from her guidance counselor and while she didn’t have a clue what it was all about, when she heard she might learn some leadership skills, she was all for it. Evelyn, the lone Classical student to attend RYLA thanks to the generous financial support she received from the Ipswich Rotary Club, found herself in a quandary.
 
“I didn’t know a thing about RYLA until the week before the camp started. Every student who was selected to attend had already been notified and here I was not even knowing if I was accepted, who was going pay for the camp, or even if I really wanted to go. I knew I wouldn’t know anyone there being the only student from Classical to ever attend RYLA. I am shy by nature and hesitant to go outside of my comfort zone and, to make matters worse, I was the last one to arrive at Camp Rotary and all the girls in my cabin had been there for a while and made friends. I went to my bunk with a look of despair, but before I knew it, they came came up to me and made me feel welcomed.”
 
As the students shared their experiences with Lynn Rotarians, it became apparent that the anxiety they carried into West Boxford was soon gone as new friends were made and teamwork became a way of life for the weekend. “It was awesome,” said Jose. “I love the outdoors anyway and some of the activities we did like the ropes course were great. I learned the importance of teamwork when you’re a leader. You don’t have all the answers.” “We had on the back of our T-shirts, Leave your comfort zone”, said Meaghan, “and believe me we did."

“I think the most important aspect about leadership that I learned are that mistakes are inevitable but that’s how you learn by taking risks and learning from your mistakes," said Evelyn. "Lynn is a very diverse community and a very diverse school system. Many of the students at RYLA do not have that experience of working with a diverse population that we did.”
 
The students mentioned how many of the activities focused on the fundamentals of leadership, the ethics of positive leadership, and had some great discussions about the social issues of today. All the students commented on the importance of effective communication when you’re in a leadership position. They agreed that leadership skills can be learned and while some individuals may be born leaders, the qualities of effective leadership are attainable for anyone who wants to pick up the mantle of leadership. All the students said they would love to return to RYLA next June as camp counselors and activity leaders. Also attending RYLA but unable to attend the luncheon were Ma’ Kayla and Martha, both from Lynn English.