Approximately 400 high school students from across the state visited Cleveland and Delta State University Friday and Saturday, March 4-5, for the Mississippi Municipal League’s (MML) Fourth Annual Statewide Youth Leadership Summit. The summit brought city officials and high-school youth together to share their experiences and the impact their programs have on their respective communities.
The summit kicked off Friday evening at the Willard Samuels Gymnasium in downtown Cleveland with a welcome reception co-hosted by the City of Cleveland and the City of Horn Lake. Participants had the opportunity to visit with university and city officials and were treated to a catfish dinner and musical entertainment.
“Hosting this year’s summit was a great opportunity for Delta State and Cleveland,” said Delta State Vice President for University Relations Michelle Roberts who helped coordinate the event. “The efforts and teamwork of university and city officials made this an outstanding event and, hopefully, made a positive, lasting impression on the participants.”
The opening session of the summit took place Saturday morning at the Bologna Performing Arts Center on the Delta State University Campus. Patrick House, Delta State graduate and recent winner of the 10th season of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” delivered the keynote address. House encouraged participants not to limit their goals and aspirations. “You can literally accomplish any goal you set for yourself,” he said. “Who would have thought an overweight man from Vicksburg, MS could go on national TV and win a weight-loss competition? I made up my mind to do just that, and I let nothing stand in the way of achieving that goal.”
Following House’s keynote, Delta State President John Hilpert welcomed the attendees and announced that Delta State would offer scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each to four qualifying summit participants. To close the opening session, House was presented with a check for $1,500 by the MML and, subsequently, he presented the check to Hilpert as a donation to the Delta State University Foundation.
Attendees participated in breakout sessions throughout the day in the H.L. Nowell Union. Following lunch in the Young-Mauldin Dining Hall, the students gathered for a spirited game-show competition closing session led by the Delta State University Student Government Association.
The final event of the day was an academic fair hosted by Delta State faculty, staff, and student representatives. The fair provided summit participants the opportunity to gather information about the university and take guided tours of the campus.
“We were extremely pleased to have these high school students on campus,” said Delta State Dean of Enrollment Management Debbie Heslep. “The event provided the opportunity to exhibit what Delta State has to offer to some of the brightest young leaders in the state.”
