Yearly, SkillsUSA Ohio hosts a leadership camp searching for a sparkle – a diamond in the rough. Yearly, SkillsUSA Ohio develops a search for a leader.

For an entire week, skilled students travel to Nelsonville, Ohio forone reason: SkillsUSA Summer Leadership Camp.

Throughout a week of outdoor activities, professional development programs, and team oriented workshops, over 250 students from the entire state of Ohio perform two of the main components to the SkillsUSA organization: networking and friendship. School Video News, again in collaboration with SkillsUSA, witnessed student-to-student inspiration. Recent graduates return to the camp each year as group leaders to lead the legacy of the conference with thirteen to seventeen group members with ages ranging from 16 to 18.

Austin Legge, a SLC camper, stated: “There are many things that I learned from Skills, one of those lessons is that more can be accomplished by working as a team. I, also, learned that it is good to leave your comfort zone. By doing so I made many new friends within a week. I realized that being a leader does not mean being bossy, it means listening to others and caring for the individual needs of others.“

Agendas for the conference include National Guard sponsored teamwork activities, Army and other various, life changing keynote speakers, sessions of SkillsUSA basics, and competitions on the final day.

These teenagers run, dance, sweat, cry, and laugh together. For group leaders – the lesson learned throughout this week long conference is patience. For students—the lesson is leadership. Students develop friendships and trust throughout five days of hard work and challenge. They develop the ability to reach beyond their comfort zone and group leaders understand what it takes to inspire.