Kirtan Parekh earns spot on Washington leadership tour
Kirtan Parekh, a student at North Gwinnett High School, is one of 4 talented and ambitious sophomores and juniors from Gwinnett County, 112 from Georgia, and 1600+ nationwide who have earned a place on the 50th year Washington Youth Tour (WYT). These tour delegates will spend a memorable week (June 11-18) in the nation’s capital to learn about leadership, teamwork, democracy, and public service.
Georgia’s oldest leadership program for teens, the WYT focuses on U.S. history, government, and the importance of public service. It was inspired by former president Lyndon Johnson who encouraged electric cooperatives “to send youngsters to the nation’s capital where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents.” It is sponsored nationally by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and in Georgia by 38 electric membership cooperatives (EMCs).
Left: Jackson EMC's 2015 Washington Youth Tour Delegates: Gwinnett County High School students Chris Larkins, Dacula; Kristen Gomez, Mill Creek; Kirtan Parekh, North Gwinnett; and Emily Bauer, Brookwood.
Students will meet with members of Georgia’s congressional delegation and visit the Arlington National Cemetery, the Smithsonian museums, Holocaust Museum, Mount Vernon, Supreme Court, Capitol, Washington Monument, and the MLK, FDR, Jefferson, World War II, and Lincoln memorials. The tour begins for the Georgia delegates with a day in Atlanta, including a reception, icebreakers and teambuilding exercises, and programs on leadership, cooperatives, and how rural electrification began.
Potential delegates were chosen by counselors and teachers based on academics, activities, and leadership abilities. They then were judged on short-answer and essay questions, recommendations, and interviews.
Website Bonus Feature
Links:
http://www.jacksonemc.com/wyt
http://www.jacksonemc.com/community-youth-education/washington-youth-tour/2015-washington-youth-tour-delegates
http://www.jacksonemc.com/news/news-announcements-press-releases/four-local-students-selected-washington-dc-leadership-trip
KIRTAN PAREKH
North Gwinnett High School ‘16
“I set my goal, and pursue it with passion and dedication.”
The band room at North Gwinnett High School is literally
banging with excitement. Kirtan Parekh and his fellow drummers
are preparing for tomorrow’s concert – an elite event where
only the top percussion ensembles will be showcased.
Before he can take the stage with his band mates, he’ll attend
another meeting in Atlanta. As the state president of the Georgia
Association of Student Councils, he’s planning the Georgia
Student Council Convention for 2016; the theme is “Life, Liberty
and the pursuit of Leadership.”
“Our goal for the week is to be inspired by dynamic speakers,
student-led workshops and activities with leadership messages we
can all bring back to our schools and use to make a difference.”
Parekh set goals for impacting his school long ago.
“Day one of my freshman year, I was exposed to the wonders
of student leadership,” Parekh said about his experience with
Expectations 101, a daylong freshman orientation program at
NGHS. “I told myself I would be the leader I saw on stage
that day – that I would be planning this for the freshmen in
two years.”
Now he is. Parekh worked with the North Gwinnett Student
Leadership Team to plan and lead the 2015 Expectations
101 program.
When he isn’t working with students at NGHS as a mentor, drum
major, Beta Club meeting coordinator or as the junior class
president, he’s reaching out to other Gwinnett County students
through the Trident Competition, a scholarship competition he
designed and runs. He is also a member of the youth leader
board for the city of Suwanee.
“Kirtan is an exemplary student at North Gwinnett, excels in
community service and possesses natural leadership ability,”
said Adam Edge, Suwanee Downtown and Business Development
Manager. “Those qualities, combined with his maturity,
integrity and work ethic, give me full confidence Kirtan is not
only worthy of selection, but is the quintessential individual for
whom this program was created.”
Kirtan is the son of Mehul and Nita Parekh of Suwanee. He plans
to study business and industrial engineering at Georgia Tech.
https://www.jacksonemc.com/sites/default/files/34469_jemco_june2015_150dpi_060215.pdf
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