Chamber of Commerce Selects New Youth LEAD Class

Thirty-four students have been chosen as participants for the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce Youth LEAD class for 2018-19.

The Leadership Paducah Alumni Association says class members take part in a six-month educational course that began this month with an orientation retreat and concludes with their graduation at the Chamber breakfast in April 2019. 

Youth LEAD is a program designed to develop and prepare students for future community support and leadership roles in the county. It targets high school juniors in Paducah Independent, McCracken County Public, and the private school systems. The students spend one day a month learning about human needs and service learning, communication and career development, business and economy, law and government, and health care. 

Members of the 2018-19 Class #8 are: 

Community Christian Academy – Rachel Harris

McCracken County High School – Carley Beatty, Cody Browning, Claire Buchanan, Katie Caruthers, Gillian Davis, Maggie Dowdy, Noah Ellis, Grant Eyer, Zachary Farmer, Weston Grogan, Hope Hodges, Addi James, Abigail Kuntz, Manda Lin, Walker McNeill, Grace Murt, Ashton Rudy, Sophia Shiben, Gabriella Smith, Max Thompson, Barrett Wagner

Paducah Tilghman High School – Quinn Atnip, Keiler Belt, Kathleen Criner, Andrew Katz, Kyrese Kelly, Samuel Lambert, Jackson Mundy, Bailee Patel, Katherine Peck, Allee Rudolph

St. Mary High School – Margaret Butts, Madeline Kerr

The selection process includes leadership potential/skills, school activities, community and diversity among schools, ethnicity and gender. 

Students are chosen by Leadership Paducah Alumni Association, the alumni organization of Leadership Paducah, which is a separate organization affiliated with the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce.