RYLA - WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Rachel Furnell introduced the four RYLA speakers:  Rachel Ryan and Matt Reynolds who attended the gathering at Kangaroobi this year, and Jessie Sheppard and Jakob Stennett who attended RYLA last year.

First to speak was Rachel Ryan:  Rachel said she had asked herself, “What  am I going to do for 6 days at Kangaroobi, with 42 strangers?”  The first night was fun and games – we were comfortable. On day 2 we formed small groups and explored leadership and what we would like to achieve in life.  Rachel said she knew where she wanted to go in life, but did not know how to get there. Day 3 was Goal Setting Day. We wrote down our goals. Can they be achieved? On Day 4 everyone was asked to confront the barriers to achieving their goals. Rachel said her biggest barrier was self–doubt. Can I change this? On Day 5 she said that she could see helping others and being the best person she could be, would be her goals. She was not going to let doubt get in her way – she would start by making a small difference when she got home. She would donate blood, even though she hates needles. Rachel said by Day 6 (and last) day she felt she had learned more about herself at the  RYLA camp, than in the 21 years she had lived. She added that the RYLA program is really life changing and thanked Rotary for the opportunity to take part in the program. 

Matt Reynolds:  Matt said he saw RYLA “as an opportunity to do something for myself.” He said he did not know what to expect. Could he be a leader?  He added, when we were asked to write down what we hoped to achieve, I thought I should I quit and go home!  Matt said RYLA changed the way he sees things and he realised his future is in his own hands. He thanked Mike Boyd for getting him involved in RYLA and our Rotary Club for supporting him.

Jessie Sheppard:  Jessie attended RYLA last year. She said she learned to set goals and use what she had learned. She said she gave up smoking, got fit and now her asthma is gone. She has gained knowledge in banking and marketing and has become involved in Rotaract activities such as Trivia Nights, Standing Tall, has helped with Show Gates, and uses social media to keep in contact. She thanked the SouthWest Credit Union and our Rotary Club for supporting her RYLA experience.

Jakob Stennett: Jakob was in Year 12 when he attended RYLA last year. He said he looks at things differently since attending the camp at Kangaroobi. He worked hard to get good Year 12 results (and achieved that). He has been accepted for a Tertiary Course. He works at the Whalers Hotel and the Aqua Farm and has been introduced to Rotaract. Jakob thanked our Rotary Club for giving him the opportunity to take part in the RYLA Program.