photo courtesy of Madlynn Singh
Many students try to focus on helping themselves and trying to get by in school, but for sophomore Madelynn Singh, that was not the case. Singh wanted to be a leader for her peers. Her desire to be a leader led her to apply to the Youth Leadership of Omaha.

Singh frequently volunteers at her church so she was drawn to this program. Youth Leadership of Omaha is a program where students from the community come together to learn about how they can help others. The students also learn how to teach people ways to help in their own communities and there is a long process to get into the program.

“To get into Youth Leadership of Omaha you must first fill out an application of 10 questions and personal information,” Singh said. “If your application is accepted then you get an interview.”

Singh and other students from Millard went through this process in their quest to become a leader. Singh was the only student from West to be accepted.

As a Youth Leadership of Omaha member, Singh must attend an opening retreat, five seminars, a closing retreat and graduation. Students are allowed to miss up to two of these events or else they do not graduate from the program.

“For one of our seminars we went to TD Ameritrade to learn about how the stadium came to be,” Singh said. “Then after we finished touring the stadium we went to the Open Door Mission to help re-stock shelves.”

Youth Leadership of Omaha is ran through Creighton University by juniors and seniors. They are the ones who plan out all the seminars and put them into motion.

Forty-two students from Millard are a part of the program this year, and the program only takes up to 50 students a year.

“Millard West does not advertise this program much, which is a shame because there are so many students at this school who would be great for this program,” Singh said. “I only found out about this program through my mother.”

This is the 25th year the Youth Leadership of Omaha has been put on. The program will take up to 50 sophomores each year.