By Kendra Morris and Derek Mullins
On October 22, a group of seniors from Nicholas County High School, along with seniors from other schools, attended the Student Leadership Academy trip to the Clay Center in Charleston. We were a part of the seniors that did attend, and we can say we’re glad we went.
The atmosphere from beginning to end during the presentation was very exciting. Clint Pulver, the motivational speaker, spoke about his life, challenges he faced, and how he overcame them. He encouraged us to, no matter what we choose to do with our lives, live and not just survive because we’re not guaranteed a lifetime. That alone was the one thing that stuck with us from the trip.
To conclude the presentation, the president from West Virginia State University spoke and gave us information about the college. They also randomly selected ten students from each GEAR UP school for a $1,000-dollar scholarship and awarded it to them. This included NCHS student Paige O’Dell. Paige explains, “It felt good to win money for school.”
As a whole, the trip was successful. We got to meet other GEAR UP members from schools around the area and hear impacting stories about life, while enjoying the overall atmosphere around us.