Thirty youth from across Georgia have been selected to participate in the 2025 class of Youth LEAD Georgia, a statewide leadership program facilitated by the University of Georgia.
These 30 10th- and 11th-graders, representing 29 different counties, were selected by an external committee from more than 340 nominations received by UGA.
“Building on last year’s inaugural class, we saw an even greater level of interest for the 2025 program,” said Lauren Healey, UGA J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development senior public service faculty. “That interest created a very competitive selection process through which the program aims to reflect our state. We are excited to welcome these young people to the Youth LEAD Georgia program.”
A partnership among UGA’s Fanning Institute; Chick-fil-A, Inc.; and The Same House organization, Youth LEAD Georgia is designed to equip youth with the skills and knowledge necessary to be the future leaders of the state.
A generous $1.5 million pledge from Chick-fil-A to the UGA Fanning Institute is providing financial support for both Youth LEAD Georgia and an annual youth leadership summit. Thanks to the support from Chick-fil-A, Youth LEAD Georgia is available at no cost to participants.
“Chick-fil-A’s investment in Youth LEAD Georgia represents our continued commitment to developing and empowering the next generation of leaders,” said Brent Fielder, Vice President of Global Impact, Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Members of the 2025 Youth LEAD Georgia class are:
- Mia Burnett, Sale City
- Timothy Carter, Augusta
- Victoria Alexis Clark, Smyrna
- Ryan Clark, Albany
- Jerel Clark, Morrow
- Brodie Combs, Grovetown
- Emma Douglas, Eastman
- Paige Folette, Blackshear
- Abigail Garland, Mansfield
- Nathaniel Guidry, Athens
- Kenwin Hayes, Lilburn
- Zoe Hill, Between
- Chandler Lewis, McDonough
- Davis Markham, Newnan
- Londyn Miller, Atlanta
- Elaina Parker, Lawrenceville
- Brooks Potter, Americus
- Vivian Reyes, Cartersville
- John Rice, Roswell
- Yasmin Rios, Swainsboro
- Najah Saadiq, Cairo
- Caroline Sawhill, Rome
- Mason Scoville, Carrollton
- Sneha Singh, Warner Robins
- Abigail Sulkowski, Rincon
- Andrew Taylor, Griffin
- Holden Walton, Valdosta
- Jonas Wei, Cumming
- Colin Williams, Colquitt
- Adalyn Winder, Summerville
Beginning in January, the 2025 class will participate in four weekend retreats held in different communities across the state as well as a four-day summer bus tour of south Georgia.
Rodney Bullard, CEO of The Same House, fellow Georgia business leader Fred Hicks, and faculty at the UGA Fanning Institute collaboratively designed the concept of the program. UGA Fanning Institute faculty developed the programming and curriculum and facilitate Youth LEAD Georgia.
“Leadership is a lifelong learning opportunity,” said Beverly Johnson, interim director of the UGA Fanning Institute. “Helping young people begin developing the skills of effective leadership early equips them to build on those skills throughout their lives and prepares them to have a positive impact on their communities and our state.”
Experiential activities, in-depth dialogue on current issues and challenges facing Georgia, and opportunities to interact with prominent business and community leaders will complement the leadership training.
Furthermore, Youth LEAD Georgia will also offer opportunities for these youth to put their new knowledge and leadership skills into action in their communities. A generous gift from Rodney Bullard and The Same House will enable selected Youth LEAD Georgia participants to take on community service projects in their local communities.
For more information on Youth LEAD Georgia, click here.
