At 12 years old, Kelly Menna, a sixth-grader at Our Mother of Sorrows, has already proven herself a leader. She tries to be a role model for her younger siblings and encourages her peers to always do their best.
Kelly was selected by Mother of Sorrows principal Samuel Zalacca to attend the Junior National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C. Zalacca cited Kelly’s academic excellence, outstanding leadership potential and maturity as the reasons for nominating her.
The conference was sponsored by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, which seeks scholars who demonstrate leadership potential. Nominations are submitted by school administrators, teachers or community leaders.
Kelly traveled to Washington with her family to join 243 students from all over the country at this conference.
“My mom, grandma, brother and sister piled into a van and went there,” she said.
During her stay in Washington, Kelly participated in workshops designed to practice leadership skills. She met leaders from America’s past and interacted with leaders of today. Included in the week was the opportunity to visit many national monuments, memorials, historic sites and museums. Kelly was able to see the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial, the National Museum of American History, the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, the Capitol, the Newseum and Harper’s Ferry. Of those, she enjoyed going to the White House and the Maryland Science Center the most.
The students stayed at the National 4-H Conference Center. Kelly brought her suitcase and was given a key to the room.
“My grandma and mom said it was like dropping me off to college,” she said. The students woke up at 5:30 a.m. and most days ended at 10:30 p.m.
Kelly said the best part of the experience was the chance to meet people her own age from all over the country and make new friends. She also enjoyed the role playing and the opportunity to visit the many sites of Washington. Kelly said she attended classes on character-building and learned the six traits of being a leader.
Having participated in this conference, she is now eligible to attend the Junior National Young Leaders Alumni Conference in Boston, the High School National Young Leaders Conference and the International Young Leaders Conference.
