THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 21, 1994 TAG: 9407190166
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ANGELA CLARK, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines
Rudy wanted a shoe. Just one. From everybody.
``What? Give you one of my shoes?'' asked one of the 60 students who'd just assembled in Village II at Virginia Wesleyan College.
``Yeah, one of your shoes,'' answered Rudy Grimes, waving them on with his hands.
So they came, one by one, handing their shoes to Grimes, who threw the shoes into a corner until they formed a pile 2 feet high. Sandals, tennis shoes, dress shoes - they were all there.
``Now go pick up a shoe, not your shoe, find the owner, and introduce yourselves,'' Grimes said.
That's how the Norfolk Summer High School Leadership Program began for those 60 students.
The five-day program, held at Virginia Wesleyan College from June 20 to 24, included students from Norfolk's five high schools. The Leadership Program is designed to ``provide a variety of leadership experiences and training activities for our Norfolk student leaders,'' leadership consultant Rosa V. Harris said.
Speakers Deena Smith, John Ledgerwood, Kimberlie San Antonio, Dan Baise, Joe Rejuney and Stephen Peters spoke with the students on everything from personality types to setting goals.
The students were kept busy from early morning until late night. Their day, beginning at 7:15 a.m. and ending at 11 p.m., was filled with seminars, workshops and assemblies.
They were split up into six groups, or councils, led by former program delegates who had attended the program while they were in high school.
``Seeing the former delegates come back helped me to appreciate how I can become a better person later on in life like they did,'' said Lindley Foreman III, a rising Maury High school junior.
Internationally known motivational speaker Norm Hull attended the workshop with the delegates for three days, speaking to them about stereotypes, individualism and the importance of teamwork.
``He was like sunshine on a cloudy day,'' said Vera Roberts, a rising junior at Booker T. Washington High. ``The skills he taught us helped me better my human relation skills.''
One day, Olympic gold metalist in shot put, Skip Wilkins, spoke to the delegates about how his dream of becoming a Redskins football player were shattered when he was paralyzed from the waist down as a result of a water skiing accident.
``Skip influenced me to follow through with my goals until something gets in the way,'' said rising Granby High sophomore Jill Zahratka. ``Then you should always have something to fall back on.''
All the delegates received signed copies of his autobiography, ``The Real Race.''
Other than listening to speakers, the delegates attended council meetings where they talked about self-awareness and self-respect.
``The council meetings were very effective,'' said Aisha Durham, 17, a rising senior at Lake Taylor High. ``They brought out the individual qualities in people who were not accustomed to working in large groups.''
Council leaders Shelly Smalls, Karen Foreman, Rudy Grimes, Rick Apelizan and Marisa Clemente had no problems taking time out to help this year's delegates become strong leaders.
``I wanted to keep rising college students from making the same mistakes I made,'' said former delegate Shelly Smalls, a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School and a student at Old Dominion University. ``I believe there are still good kids out there.''
Despite its popularity with students, the Leadership Camp was not held for the past two years because of budget constraints.
``We were in mind but they just had to cut some stuff,'' Harris said. ``Budget cuts and staff cuts equal program cuts.''
Yet, as long as the money is there, the program will continue annually for the sake of the impact it has on the delegates' lives.
``The leadership skills I learned from the program helped me start a pep squad at my high school and become an effective football captain for two years,'' said Rudy Grimes, a 1988 delegate and Norview graduate.
Former council leader Kerry Lynch, 1984 delegate and Washington High graduate, agrees that there is no better feeling than seeing a delegate become successful in life.
``When I first met Shawn Knight (former delegate and football and baseball player at William and Mary, recently drafted by the San Diego Padres), he seemed not to know exactly what his role in life was,'' he said. ``But to see him now and read about him, it makes me proud to know I was part of his success.''
On his last day, Hull left the delegates with a word of advice, ``Realize you have the power to make the world the way you want it instead of waiting for others to do it for you. Don't look for someone to show up with all the answers. Everyone must get involved.'' ILLUSTRATION: ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Angela Clark is a rising senior at Granby High School. She wrote
this story as part of the newspapers' 8th annual Minority Journalism
Workshop.
by CNB