The Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) is a six-day Leadership and Personal Development seminar for young adults aged between 18 and 25 years who are nominated and sponsored by their local Rotary Club (within District 9780 - South West Victoria and South East Australia) to attend.  The program covers topics such as leadership, motivation, goal setting, value-based decision making, confidence, self-esteem, community contribution and resilience.  This year the program will be held in April at "Kangaroobie" near Princetown in the Otway Ranges. Our club has sponsored Crystal Baker, Meave Miller-Stawyskj and Debbie Ashley.
 
Crystal works in the 3Thirds Cafe at Avalon Airport. Her passion in life is photography and she is currently studying an Advance Diploma in Photography with the aim of launching into a full time photography career.
 
Meave has completed a double degree in Psychology and Crimonology and has now changed focus and is about to commence studies at Deakin University in Civil Engineering. Meave works part-time at the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie ... so for all you chocaholics be sure to say hi to Meave if you are out there.
 
Debbie has a great love of animals and has completed an undergraduate science degree in Genetics and Zoology. She is into sport and also likes to paint and read when she has time. Not much time in the next few years for Debbie, as she has enrolled in a PhD in Epidemiology - but she is looking forward to time out, meeting others and having a good time at the Ryla program in April.
 
Crystal, Maeve and Debbie will pop into one of our meetings to let us know how the program went and what they got out of it.
Have a great time from all of us at GWP Rotary Club.
(Thanks to John McGibbon from the Youth Services area for coordinating this program.)