Staff Events Go Virtual

S-T-A-F-F, Staff, Staff, Staff!

Thank you to every one who joined us for LYS Staff and Staff Alumni Social Hours during the week of the 2021 webinar. We loved seeing your red shirts, blue shirts, and banquet outfits via Zoom! Below was the schedule followed.

SUNDAY 7/18/21 7 pm CST

Theme of the Day: Opening Convocation Wear: Red Get Ready: Bring a glass to toast our own Norma Jane Sabiston!

TUESDAY 7/20/21 7 pm CST

Theme of the Day: 5 Year Night Wear: Blue Get Ready: High-Five the latest 5 year inductees tonight!

THURSDAY 7/23/20 7 pm CST

Theme of the Day: Banquet Wear: Red, your banquet outfit, your best homemade costume Get Ready: We will induct our newest members of Hall of Fame and we will thank donors and Y-O-U for your support!

Honoring Norma Jane Sabiston

Norma Jane Sabiston Legacy Fund

Norma Jane Sabiston, who passed away from a sudden illness on December 4, 2020, was a trusted advisor to Presidents, Senators, Congressmen, Governors, and Mayors. However, she would tell you her most important legacy will be the hundreds of young leaders she mentored during her extraordinary 40-year career at the center of public policy in Louisiana and Washington, D.C.

To honor this extraordinary legacy, through your generosity, annual scholarships to the University of New Orleans and the Louisiana Youth Seminar will be awarded in Norma Jane’s name to distinguished students with a demonstrated record in leadership and academics.

Donations can be made here: https://2014givenow.kimbia.com/njslf

2021 Hall of Famers

We are proud to announce the new 2021 Hall of Fame Inductees:

Jeanne Harang Boughton

High School:  Ascension Catholic High School, Donaldsonville, LA 

First Delegate Year:  MOD 1987

First JC Year:  1988

Last year on staff:  1991

Staff Duties:  JC and SC 

Involvement post LYS:  2016 to present, Served as Chair of the BOD for 2.  Served as Chair of the Risk Management Committee of the BOD.  Currently serves as Chair of the Structure Committee of the BOD.

Current Employment:  Associated Broker for RE/MAX N.O. Properties, (Self employed)

What does LYS mean to you?  

With LYS, the gifts just keep on giving.  Over the last 30 years, LYS has given me the most amazing role models one could ever want. 

LYS friends continue to fill my life with enthusiasm, intellect and a desire to bring leadership to the rising generation.

With the commitment of each and every LYS volunteer, the programs grows each day and each year.

I am proud to be part of LYS; even more proud that LYS is part of me.

Glynn Gross

High School: Dutchtown High School

First Delegate Year: 2011

First JC Year: 2012

Last year on staff: stilly partying in a red shirt

Staff Duties: JC (2), Counselor (2) Head Table (3) PD (3)

Involvement post time on staff: I am still heavily involved in staff and serving as my third year as program director. Once I am not on staff I would love to continue to work with the alumni association to help make the week seamless for staff and the delegates.

Current Employment: Special Needs Counselor in Ascension Parish Schools

What does LYS mean to you?

LYS means family to me. LYS has given me the opportunity to learn and grow in different leadership roles. I have role models throughout staff and alumni that teach me how to be a more effective leader and hold me accountable when I am not showing up with my best self. LYS has allowed me to take back the No Man Is An Island motto and love and learn from those around me. I have gained valuable leadership lessons through seeing things with an inclusive mindset.

Will Syll

High School:Saint Paul’s 

July 2011 Delegate

July 2012 New JC

July 2018 Last staff year 

Staff Duties: Laundry, Travel Leader, DE, IGL, Staff Ass, APD, PD

Involvement Post: Dorm Dad, LYS Webinar Content debugger, EC

Current Employment: Deloitte, Senior Consultant

 LYS is where I learned how to operate within a group, where I learned that leadership is an action not a position, and most importantly the value of servant leadership. When I believe in the mission of an organization, or even in the purpose of a team, putting that purpose before myself in all of my decision making not only makes me a better leader but also helps me spring out of bed in the morning. 

Connor Bueche

High School: Catholic High School, Baton Rouge

First Delegate Year: 2011

First JC Year: 2012

Last year on staff: 2018

Staff Duties: Poltical Parties, Tech-hand, Music, General Problem Solver

Involvement post time on staff: Dorm Dad 2019, Assisted with Webinar Programming Efforts in 2020

Current Employment: Defense Contractor with CACI Incm Washington, D.C.

What does LYS mean to you?

LYS is place where we invite and challenge one another to be the best versions of ourseleves and actively encourage one another to do so and incorporate these lessons into a lifetime of learning and selflessness.

Andre Delaunay

High School: St. Thomas More - Lafayette

First Delegate Year: 1989 I believe.

First JC Year: 1991

Last year on staff: 1993

Staff Duties: Seriously, I do not recall!  Taking 20 years off was not conducive to retaining specific memories.  I know I worked Caucus as well as Dreams to Reality.  I know I slept very little, spending most of the down time walking the dorms or preparing the next day’s staff engagements.  I feel like I took daily direction at staff meetings to put out fires or fill in gaps more than taking on any established role each year.  But again…my memories are suspect.  In fact, I even get them mixed up with other people’s stories related down the years.  Which means I probably remember the running jokes better than the “jobs” from my time on staff.

Involvement post time on staff:  I generally stayed in touch – had plenty of friends and a brother who would be involved with LYS in the years following my departure from staff.  Around 2012 or so, Jo reached out to those of us living in Houston (where she was at the time) and we would talk about how things were going etc.  Things progressed naturally from there to me agreeing to join the Board of Directors, and with which I am still involved.  On the Board, in addition to general Board duties I serve on the Investment, Risk Management, and Alumni Reconnect committees, and have committed to another term starting this coming year.

Current Employment: General Counsel; Doggett Equipment Services Group

What does LYS mean to you? 

LYS is the most personal experience I have had outside of family.  As a result, its impact has been considerable.  My early experiences as a delegate and staff member built confidence and frankly laid the groundwork for most of my professional relationships.  While I suppose I was always open to more cooperative solutions, I learned to fine-tune how to encourage those solutions through buy-in and mutual respect.  And I learned to enjoy solving problems.

As I re-engaged some 15-20 years later, LYS took on a different meaning for me.  In some respects it started as a way for me to give back or volunteer in general – but with the benefits of seeing and working with old friends I had lost touch with.  And while that remains a positive aspect, LYS is the only program I have any personal knowledge of that truly promotes leadership from a grass-roots level all the way to the national level.  Looking at some of the kids coming through the program, and realizing that they are finding out the same things about themselves that I did – well it’s hard not to want a program like that to succeed.  Which is why I’ve felt so good about convincing friends to send their kids, why I sent my own.   

So while the program explicitly touts leadership and confidence as 2 of its pillars, it implicitly promotes service and giving back to your community.  And that regenerative societal effect is probably what I respect most about it.

LYS Stands with the Black Community

Louisiana Youth Seminar (LYS) was founded in 1971 on the belief that in order for businesses, communities and government to have effective leaders in the future, we must educate and cultivate the next generation of leaders -- from all communities -- and help them develop strong core leadership skills.

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BP & Shell Encourage Leadership Through LA Youth Seminar

Last week, Shell and BP joined other corporations as sponsors of the 49th annual Louisiana Youth Seminar (LYS). LYS is a week long leadership camp for high school students held at Louisiana State University every third week of July. During the week, students participate in skill-building activities focused on leadership. Through the activities and a series of hands-on experiences, they’re encouraged to use their newly developed skills in a group setting, which aims to help them discover that leadership is more than a position or authority, but a matter of action. 

 

“The Louisiana Youth Seminar is grateful for the continuous support from corporations like Shell and BP. The seminar would not be possible without their longtime generosity and commitment to the program,” said Jo Pease, co-founder of the Louisiana Youth Seminar. “They are granting students the opportunity to become effective, strong leaders who will create a bright future for our state.” 

 

“LYS strives to keep the seminar affordable for potential high school leaders. The seminar relies on the generosity of sponsors to both underwrite the program and provide scholarships for students who may not be able to afford the tuition fee. This year, the industry companies sponsored almost 90 student participants. Both Shell and BP have served as sponsors of the program for many years, showing their unwavering commitment to the future of Louisiana. LYS 2019 had about 300 students from 125 different high schools attend. To learn more about LYS, visit their website at LouisianaYouthSeminar.org or visit their social media pages @LouisianaYouthSeminar. “

 

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