Student Success Stories
End of the School Year Edition
Former Ronald Reagan Student Leadership Program students make Ventura County's Top 100 "Reagan Scholars"
On May 21, 2015 The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Ventura County Scholars Program hosted the Top 100 semi-finalists for an evening celebration here at the Library. These students are graduating seniors who exemplify outstanding leadership, character, communication skills, academic achievement, and commitment to Ventura County. The Ronald Reagan Student Leadership Program team was thrilled to learn that 6 of these Top 100 students were former RRSLP students! Pictured below from left to right are Fariha Hameed (2014/Session 4), Gillian Mathews (2014/Session 4), Kelsey Thomas (2014/Session 2), Luke Pacifici (2014/Session 2), Amanda Souza (2014/Session 4), and Jaimilee Ruud (2014/Session 4). Three of these former SLP students earned scores which qualified them to receive financial scholarships for college, ranging in amount from $1,000-$5,000. Congratulations to these student leaders!
J.R. Martinez is an actor, best-selling author, motivational speaker, advocate, and wounded U.S. Army veteran. He is many things but perhaps most significantly, he is an inspiration. It was an honor to have him speak to the 100 semi-finalists, their guests, and members of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.
After the event, J.R. requested to speak privately with the 13 finalists and recipients of the financial awards. He reminded these students to follow their dreams and passions, but to also be ready to create a whole new path when 'things don't go the way you've planned.' Here is J.R. with Honorable Mention Award winner, Kelsey Thomas (in a pose which must have been inspired from his time on Dancing With the Stars!)
Kayla Stafford, 2014/Session 5
Kayla's Leadership Action Plan was to bring a financial awareness class to her school. She realized the value the class would have for graduating seniors, who would soon be away at college with living expenses, student loans, credit cards, and paychecks to worry about. After months of emails and outreach with banking companies, as well as numerous meetings with her school administration to get the approval, Kayla succeeded in completing her Leadership Action Plan on May 21, 2015.
The team of presenters from Wells Fargo sets up their presentation at Moorpark High School. The presentation was titled, "You and Your Money," and was attended by nearly 200 members of the graduating senior class.
Nicholas Mintzer, 2013/Session 1
Nick attended the pilot summer of the Ronald Reagan Student Leadership Program back in 2013. An active participant of the Simi Valley Youth Council, Nick has continued to hone his communication skills by presenting on stage ever since (including the Simi Valley Youth Town Hall event held at the Reagan Library earlier this year). Below, Nick is pictured with Former Mexican President Vicente Fox. Nick was one of two students selected to interview the former President during a speech he gave to Santa Susana High School students on May 28, 2015.
Nick Weis, 2014 /Session 5
You may remember Nick from the SLP Reunion Event held this past March. He spoke about his work with military veterans, specifically those struggling with PTSD. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation was so impressed with Nick, the founder of Operation Kids Care, they invited him to attend the Marcus Luttrell event at the Reagan Library on April 27, 2015.
Marcus Luttrell, also known as "The Lone Survivor," shares his amazing story of his military comrades who paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving in Afghanistan.
Reshmika Remesh, 2014/Session 5
Those of you who attended the SLP Reunion in March may remember Reshmika from the panel discussion. On May 23, 2015 she was named Miss Teen Princess of Moopark/Simi Valley. In her pageant interview she spoke about the Ronald Reagan Student Leadership Program, saying this was "where it all started" for her, and that the program made her the leader she is today. Congratulations to Reshmika!
Julianna Emanuel, 2014/Session 2
Julianna completed her Leadership Action Plan just a few weeks ago; her original goal was to design a children's brochure for the Stagecoach Inn Museum where she volunteers as a junior docent. Through the SLP lessons in communication and teamwork, Julianna led this project from idea to completion. This required several meetings with the Museum Director and Lead Docents, presenting her brochure to the Junior Docents and Docent Council, and piloting the test brochure with students. After listening to student feedback, she ultimately created two different brochures- an easier version for young children and a more challenging version for older students. Julianna wrote that last summer's RRSLP has "truly inspired me to pursue my passions, and make a difference in the world."
Coming Soon.....
Information on the online community, a place where students can share success stories, highlight academic achievements, and support fellow student leaders.
By invite only. Stay tuned!
By invite only. Stay tuned!