Teens to learn leadership in nation’s capital

Friday, Feb. 27, 2004 | 6:26 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION

Feb. 28 - 29, 2004

Two local teens will be going to Washington next week for national youth leadership conferences.

Genevieve Martin, a Las Vegas Academy student, has been selected to participate in the National Young Leaders Conference Tuesday through March 7.

Gabrielle Boyadjian of Faith Lutheran Junior-Senior High School will attend the Junior National Young Leaders Conference Saturday through Thursday.

Both are sponsored by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council.

Martin, a Mount Charleston resident, and Boyadjian of Las Vegas will interact with a variety of officials who operate within the three branches of government, the news media and the international community.

The National Young Leaders Conference is a unique leadership development program for high school students who have demonstrated leadership potential and scholastic merit, organizers say.

Martin will be among 400 outstanding high schoolers from around the country to attend the conference. Boyadjian will be among 200 of her peers.

To learn about the schedule of special meetings and briefings, the two will participate in a number of leadership skill-building activities and stimulations.

The high school conference attendees will participate in a role-play activity called "If I Were President," in which students act as the president and cabinet members responding to an international crisis.

Martin will also participate in "Testing the Constitution," in which she will examine Supreme Court cases.

In addition to examining notable U.S. leaders and historic figures, Boyadjian will study the impact of leadership throughout critical periods of American history including the Civil War and Reconstruction, World War II, the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement, according to the Congressional Youth Leadership Council.

For more information about the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, visit the website at www.cylc.org.