CONTRIBUTED BY THE OPELIKA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
OPELIKA —
The Opelika Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the 2023-24 class of Lee County Young Leaders.
Lee County Young Leaders is a county-wide program designed to nurture and develop positive leadership qualities in our high school students. The Chamber wants to create successful leaders in Lee County and this program gives the students of our area the knowledge, tools and contacts to do so. The goal is that graduates of the Lee County Young Leaders program will possess a unique understanding and appreciation of the inner workings of their community and will return home as excellent future candidates to serve on local boards, committees and task forces.
“This will be the 10th year the Opelika Chamber of Commerce has provided elite high school students with the Lee County Young Leaders experience,” said President and CEO of the Opelika Chamber Ali Rauch. “More than 300 students have been through this program, and we hope we have cultivated a sense of community, a pride in their home and a desire to return here after college to leave their own mark.”
This year’s class members are:
• Will Bao – Auburn High School
• Ty Barnes – Auburn High School
• Mary Margaret Buck – Auburn High School
• JD Dallas – Auburn High School
• Emily Jiang – Auburn High School
• Harper Olsen – Auburn High School
• Suyeon Shin – Auburn High School
• Jakayla Luke – Beauregard High School
• Karlyn Mullins – Beauregard High School
• Clara Burke – Beulah High School
• Cassi Pagan – Beulah High School
• Anessia Brothers – Glenwood School
• Emory Newland – Homeschool
• Trammell Shell – Lakeview Christian School
• Chloe Clinard – Lee-Scott Academy
• Jay Collins – Lee-Scott Academy
• Jake Cummings – Lee-Scott Academy
• Mallory Wheeles – Lee-Scott Academy
• Emily Yang – Lee-Scott Academy
• Jeremiah Darlington – Loachapoka High School
• Lorin White – Loachapoka High School
• Violett Alcorn – Opelika High School
• Anita Duncan – Opelika High School
• Lydia Hilyer – Opelika High School
• Hayley Ponds – Opelika High School
• Shirley Pugh – Opelika High School
• Joanne Smith T – Opelika High School
• Tristan Tatum – Opelika High School
• Kayla Brownlee – Smiths Station High School
• Byrdie Ella Coleman – Smiths Station High School
• Rena Long – Smiths Station High School
• Libby-Kate Posey – Smiths Station High School
• Nicolai Shomaker – Smiths Station High School
• Stephen Shropshire – Trinity Christian School
“Our current class was selected from the largest applicant pool to date, more than 130 applicants,” said Vice President of the Opelika Chamber Mackenzie Poole. “We are excited to get to know this current class and watch them learn and grow over the course of the year.”
For more information about Lee County Young Leaders contact Poole at mackenzie@opelikachamber.com or visit www.opelikachamber.com/leadership-development/lcyl/.