Sheridan Student Selected for 2009 International Rotary Youth Leadership Awards

Joy Umoafia, a business student at Sheridan College, has been chosen to attend the 2009 International Rotary Youth Leadership Awards to be held June 18-21st in Birmingham, England.

For Immediate Release: June 8, 2009
Oakville, Ontario


Joy Umoafia, a business student at Sheridan College, has been chosen to attend the 2009 International Rotary Youth Leadership Awards to be held June 18-21st in Birmingham, England. 
Joy became involved in Rotary while working as a Peer Mentor, assisting fellow students, at Sheridan.  She was drawn to Rotary’s mission of providing humanitarian service and building good will around the world.  Joy views the award “as a tremendous opportunity to learn and contribute.  I hope to one day become a Rotarian myself and share in the important work of building the community.”

Established as a Rotary Structured Program in 1971, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is Rotary's leadership training program for young people. RYLA emphasizes leadership, citizenship, and personal growth through intensive training programs that often take the shape of a seminar, workshop, or camp.

International RYLA invites up to 150 exceptional young people to refine their leadership skills, discuss issues relevant to global citizenship in the new millennium, and share ideas on how to make a positive impact in their communities. By invitation-only, young leaders celebrate Rotary’s commitment to youth. Participants learn advanced leadership techniques through interactive training exercises. During small group breakout sessions, participants explore and discuss current issues and topics pertinent to leadership in a global society.

Joy emigrated to Canada with her parents from Nigeria at the age of 18 months, and became actively involved in her community from a young age, from participating in sports to volunteering at church.  Attending Sheridan provided her with new opportunities to get involved and learn.  “I came for the vast opportunities that Sheridan provided.  Being able to work, volunteer, join or start a club, and even lead in activities, were huge advantages.”

“This is a tremendous honour for Joy, and we congratulate her for her achievements.  It is a testament to her strong abilities and leadership qualities,” says Joe Henry, Sheridan’s Supervisor of Student Leadership.