Cove High student to facilitate leadership camp

Special to Leader-Press

When fellow students ask Copperas Cove High School sophomore Ariel Draper what she did this summer, they’ll need to take notes.

Accepted into the Advent Health Student Program, Draper keeps busy volunteering at the local hospital. Last week, she successfully completed Fort Hood’s Phantom Warrior Junior Cadet Leadership Challenge as a member of the CCHS JROTC Bulldog Battalion. This week, she packs her bags for San Antonio where she will serve as a youth facilitator at the Lone Star Leadership Academy June 23-28. This is Draper’s second consecutive year to be selected for the leadership role.

““I give up part of my summer for this camp because it’s very fun and it gets me out to go and see and learn new things. It’s worth going over and over again because it’s a great opportunity to make new friends and you learn something new each time,” Draper said.  

Draper will demonstrate and further develop her leadership skills by mentoring camp participants, facilitating student leadership groups and participating in leadership skill-building activities.

Draper was selected based on her outstanding academic success, demonstrated leadership ability, involvement in school and community activities and successful completion of a previous Lone Star Leadership Academy Camp and service on the Lone Star Leadership Academy Alumni Council. Members must complete leadership lessons and lead others in a service project for a need identified in their community. For three consecutive years, Draper planned and executed the Kick Cancer’s Butt fundraising event as her service project to qualify as a junior facilitator at the Lone Star Leadership Academy.

Draper, who is also a taekwondo student at the House of Discipline in Harker Heights, donated the proceeds this year to Pink Warrior Angels of which she is the president of the youth organization.

Before becoming a facilitator, Draper received the Lone Star Leadership Academy Trailblazer designation that recognized her participation in all three camps: Dallas, Austin, and Houston. This select group of students is honored for choosing to develop their leadership skills and learn about the state while experiencing notable sites in three of Texas’ major metropolitan areas.

Draper offers advice to elementary students interested in developing their leadership skills through the Lone Star Leadership Academy.

“You have to work hard and maintain good grades if you’d like to be selected,” Draper said. “You should try your best and push yourself to the limits.”

Texas educators facilitate the camp including leadership groups where students will examine qualities of effective leaders, practice leadership skills and discuss what they learn at sites they visit.

Academy participants must be in fourth to eighth grades and maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher. For more information, visit www.educationinaction.org.