Sumter's Next Generation, presented by SumterEDGE: Emerging Leaders share a new lens on community, service and self

Ask yourself this one question: What makes a leader?

Is it their ability to control a room or their willingness to share the spotlight? Is it someone boisterous and adaptable or someone quiet and grounded? Someone who speaks loudly or someone who prefers one-on-one conversations?

The answer, in its simplest form: A leader can be anyone. And it all starts with one step. A step that Lakewood High's Taylin Dicks, 18, Sumter High's Cortney Livingston, 17, and Thomas Sumter Academy's Abigail Rocheleau, 17, and Lucy Gore, 17, know all too well.

While these four high school seniors differ in schools and personalities, they share one defining trait: a willingness to serve.

The Ross McKenzie Emerging Leaders Program, created by Sumter Economic Development and TheLINK Economic Development Alliance, was designed to prepare high school juniors for leadership roles through interactive meetings and modules every month that focus on critical thinking and team building. At the completion of the program, students earn college credit hours and graduate into leadership positions throughout the community.

For some Emerging Leaders, the program has been a tradition; Lucy first heard of the program from her older sister, who completed it in 2021. For others, it was the reputation the program had built among its peers. Cortney and Abigail heard the firsthand experiences of fellow classmates and wanted to absorb those skills and friendships themselves.

And for a handful - like Taylin - it was a chance to delve deeper into their desire to give back.

"The main thing that stood out to me was my guidance counselor [said] how they built a ramp, for somebody that needed it. I really liked that," Taylin expressed. "That's something I've always wanted to do: help people. Emerging Leaders definitely has helped me even more [with] that passion and how to be successful in that."

Success isn't possible without help from local experts, professionals and residents who are willing to share their time and knowledge with this next generation of movers and shakers. Throughout their junior year, these students shake hands and engage in conversations with politicians, philanthropists and a wide array of professionals in career fields they one day dream of entering and from corners of Sumter they never knew existed. According to the four young leaders, they each came into the program with no expectations but walked away with more than they could have imagined.

"I never knew how much Sumter really did because I live in Sumter County; I just go home, go to school, and that's it," Lucy shared. "But [I liked] learning how much our local government works and that you can make a change here. You don't have to go to Washington and make a change; you can make it here."

Emerging Leaders blends soft skills with hands-on experience, from government and business sessions to philanthropy and nonprofit work. To ensure those experiences prove effective, their senior year will consist of serving on local boards of organizations and businesses, bringing a new perspective to how Sumter can serve its people. The challenge, while nerve-wracking and approached with apprehension, is one they plan to conquer not only for themselves, but also for the betterment of the community.

"Whether it be in philanthropy or public speaking or just anything, you're really going to grow personally," Cortney explained. "It's really teaching you from every session to take away something; you can learn something about yourself and how to better yourself."

Coming from different schools, counties and backgrounds, these Emerging Leaders may have never crossed paths otherwise if not for this program. Each school brought something new to the table and allowed them to broaden both their horizons and their friendships. They were given the opportunity to face challenges head on, from public speaking to meeting new people, and embrace the traits that make them unique as a leader in the community.

These skills will follow them as they take that next step into college. Lucy plans to attend Auburn University to study in sports media, Abigail plans to major in health science at Clemson, Taylin seeks a future in early childhood education, and Cortney plans to study nursing. In some way, they hope their careers can honor their teachings from the program and the skills that Sumter has afforded them. To go out and leave the world better than they found it, all because Emerging Leaders left them more insightful than they were before.

"Seeing the background of how everything works, you don't understand it until you see it. How much people do every single day to keep the community the way it is and to improve it every single day," Abigail explained. "To see that and understand that gives you a new light on how everything runs. Sometimes we, as just people that live here, don't understand and don't appreciate it enough until you see it."