Mississippi State and the Riley Foundation will host a leadership program this summer for rising high school seniors. The Young Guns Summer Leadership Camp was created by MSU President Robert “Doc” Foglesong and will focus on leadership skills and personal character. The program was funded by a gift of $446,000 from the Riley Foundation, which is located in Meridian.
The university and the Riley Foundation will team up with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to give the students a better grasp of the state’s diversity.
The Young Guns program will give the selected students an opportunity to experience Mississippi State before they graduate high school.
Foglesong said those selected to attend will reflect the diversity of Mississippi in their backgrounds, interests and ambitions, according to a recent press release.
The program will be led by Cade Smith, leader of Mississippi State’s Sonny Montgomery chapter of the Appalachian Leadership Honors Program, part of the division of student affairs.
The program will consist of four sessions held June 18-23, June 25-30, July 16-21 and July 23-28.
The students chosen to participate will come from 73 high schools across the state and will be chosen by educators from the selected high schools. The educators are being asked to choose three to four students who they think would benefit from the program.
“The student should have a strong character, a good sense of responsibility, as well as a willingness to work hard,” Smith said.
Each session will host 50 students who will be broken down into two groups of 25 and then subdivided into smaller groups.
During the sessions, the students will participate in physical and mental challenges that will focus on team building and problem solving.
The students will also be involved with the East Mississippi Business Development Association, which will present a challenge to the students and allow them to come up with different action plans.
“We are hoping that the youthful proposals will stimulate positive action in Meridian,” Smith said.
The Young Guns Program will also involve 10 Choctaw students in each session to give the students and opportunity to learn about Choctaw leadership and economic emergence. Participants will spend some of their time in the program on the Choctaw reservation as a part of their experience.
Smith said the program will involve students from all backgrounds and will include those who may not see higher education as a part of their future.
Ellen Capuano, a sophomore from Gulfport, said she thinks the program will be a great opportunity for high school students in Mississippi.
“I am really excited that they will be participating in this event at our university,” she said.