Polk State Lakeland Collegiate students earn scholarships, gain experience through Youth Leadership Polk

Students at Polk State College’s collegiate high schools are afforded the opportunity to get ahead in their studies and earn college degrees in high school. Over the summer, three Polk State Lakeland Collegiate High School students also had the chance to learn hands-on in professional fields of interest.

Alana Coombs, Dennis Fetty and Abigail Fife were among eight total students throughout Polk County to take part in Polk Vision’s Youth Leadership Polk. The free program is leadership training for teens focused on cultivating leadership and employability skills.

“We all come from different backgrounds, but we all had really clear goals,” Fetty said. “It was a game-changer to be around other people who knew what they wanted and had a defined pathway. I learned a lot about myself and was able to further define what I want from my future. It was something I don’t think I could have gotten anywhere else.”

Over two weeks, participants tour the community and partake in classroom lessons that expose them to a wide range of topics, skills and career opportunities. Participants also get the chance to meet and learn from influential members of the community, including community leaders, business professionals and elected officials.

“I made great friends through the program,” Coombs shared. “We all connected and bonded. We all valued leadership and had a great work ethic. There were people from my school who I didn’t even know.”

To be eligible, students must maintain at least a B average, live in Polk County and attend an accredited high school. This past class was the seventh since the program’s inception, giving it the distinction Youth Leadership Polk Class VII.

Hands-on learning

During the program, participants spend two weeks learning in a classroom setting and taking site tours throughout the county. They are expected to attend each day. That is followed by a four-week job shadowing window in which participants learn hands-on from people working in their fields of interest, which also creates networking opportunities.

“All of these kids were lovely individuals,” said Amy Nickerson, Education Coordinator for Polk Vision. “They were all really engaged with their schools and passionate about their community. Most were outgoing but even for the more introverted participants, it was fun to see how they came along over the course of the program.”

“We try to cover the wide range of career clusters,” added Ana Saavedra, Program Manager for Polk Vision. “We encourage the students and really try to feed their fire to motivate them and keep that passion going throughout their academic careers.”

Fetty is interested in serving in government. During the program, he shadowed at the Polk Supervisor of Elections Office. He also volunteered his time at both of Polk State’s Civics Leadership Academies – a program where students in grades 6 through 9 identify an issue in their community and work to find a solution.

“My favorite part of Youth Leadership Polk was being able to explore my community,” Fetty explained.  “With Civics Leadership Academy, I helped students come up with solutions to problems in their community and I discovered that I liked helping people. I’ve always wanted to be in government but realized I didn’t know much about it. I realized why I want to work in government and that’s to try to help make the world a better place. I found out what it means to be a leader.”

With the hope of one day working as a prosecutor, Coombs shadowed members of the State Attorney’s Office. She spent her days at the courthouse in Bartow, learning about everything from jury selection to sentencing.

“I met so many people in my community and really got to see what leadership looked like,” Coombs reflected. “There were people from all over the county who I wouldn’t have met without this program.”

As she enters her senior year of high school, Fife’s passion is engineering. During Youth Leadership Polk, she learned from leaders at Merlin Entertainment and Grace Design Studios – formerly Straughn Trout Architects.

Scholarships

At the conclusion of the program, four $500 scholarships were awarded. Students were required to write a capstone essay recapping their biggest takeaways from the program and then make a presentation in front of a panel of judges. Fetty and Coombs, who are each entering 11th grade, were among the winners.

“It was nice to see my hard work pay off,” Fetty said. “I was really proud of the work I put into this program. Everyone was deserving.”

The scholarships are provided by the Leadership Polk Alumni Association.

“To get a scholarship was amazing and meant so much,” Coombs added. “This is my first college scholarship.”

A thriving partnership

While students for Youth Leadership Polk are chosen throughout the county, the partnership between the nonprofit Polk Vision and Polk State is strong. Polk Vision has held offices on Polk State’s Lakeland Campus since 2021.

Kim Long, Executive Director for Polk Vision, noted that the College has helped provide space, resources and promotion for many of its events. That includes State of the County, Behavioral Health Symposium and the upcoming 15th Annual Mayors Roundtable, which will be held at Polk State’s Center for Public Safety. Members of the College’s administration serve on Polk Vision’s boards.

President Angela Garcia Falconetti is Immediate Past Chair and serves on Polk Vision’s Board of Directors. Amy Bratten, Provost for Academic Affairs and Workforce Education; and Steve Warner, Vice President for Resource Development & Executive Director of the Polk State College Foundation, are both members of the Polk Vision Operating Board

“When Dr. Falconetti offered us the opportunity to be in residence at Polk State College, it further demonstrated the strength of our longstanding partnership,” Long explained. “We are thriving due to the generosity of visionary leaders who are aligned in partnership to further the shared vision for Polk County. The contribution of office and event space when combined with the intellectual resources of the Polk State faculty and staff is invaluable.”

Why Youth Leadership Polk?

Polk Vision notes that Youth Leadership Polk is free to students because of generous contributions throughout the community. Participants are often nominated by Polk County Public Schools administrators and counselors.

“It’s a community effort that makes it possible,” Nickerson said. “We have a great partnership with Polk County Public Schools as well. We encourage people to nominate the talented young people in their lives.”

Graduates of the most recent cohort offered advice and encouragement for those considering Youth Leadership Polk.

“If you’re even thinking about it, you should do it,” Coombs urged. “With how involved it is, it can be a little scary at first but what you learn there is invaluable.”