Five Seminole State College GEAR UP students were selected alongside 145 other students from across the United States to attend and participate in the 2022 Youth Leadership Summit (YLS) during the annual National GEAR UP conference July 17-20, 2022, in Washington, D.C

The YLS helps rising high school students to identify and maximize their leadership potential, experiences and skills. The students also have the opportunity to create a national network of peers and receive the tools and training to make positive change in their school and communities. The summit culminated with a student-led presentation to more than 2,000 National GEAR UP conference participants.

SSC GEAR UP students participating in the summit included Giulietta Cook from Konawa, Quennett Grieve from Holdenville, Sydney Robinson from Holdenville, Richard Tubbesing from Asher, and Jonathan Wiseman from Holdenville. The five students along with the GEAR staff enjoyed many cultural events the day before the summit and conference began. They also explored many historical monuments in the evenings after the conference day ended. Some of the monuments visited included the Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Memorials. Veterans’ memorials visited included World War II, Korean War, and the Vietnam War Memorials. The students also visited several museums including the Museum of the American Indian, Museum of Natural History and the Museum of American History. The group also visited Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

“The Youth Leadership Summit with GEAR UP was another great blessing added to my life. It was so great to have our voices heard. I will not ever forget this. You cannot be a leader without a community behind you,” SSC GEAR UP student Wiseman said.