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JAMIE NULL
RACHEL DAVIS
Leadership
Fayette County
Inspiring
Loyalty and
Leadership
in the
Mountain
State
Angela Sundstorm will never forget
standing in front of Judge John Hatcher.
The high school junior wasn’t facing a
legal battle. Instead, she had to present
a case as part of an assignment for
Leadership Fayette County.
It was a terrifying experience for
Sundstorm, but by the end of her pre-
sentation, she felt a sense of calm, followed by accomplishment
and, later, enjoyment.
That is the goal for every student that enters Leadership
Fayette County. Modeled after Leadership West Virginia and
now in its 16th year, the program teaches high school juniors
leadership skills and exposes them to different groups and orga-
nizations that make up Fayette County and its towns and cities.
“Leadership Fayette County allows teenagers from rural
areas the chance to experience things they never knew existed
or thought they could do,” says Sundstorm.
The application process is tough. Only 14 applicants are
accepted out of about 40 every year. According to Geoff Heeter,
the board president, the program is open to all students who live
in Fayette County, and there is no GPA or academic requirement.
“We first have a written application with more than 20 ques-
tions, all designed to make the students think for themselves,”
Heeter says of the selection process. “Anyone who submits an
application gets to interview in person with a four-person panel.
The panel is made up of two board members, an alumnus and the
program coordinator. This group selects the class for the year.”
Students selected for the program must sign a code of conduct
and commit to attending every session. The program has been
tweaked over the years, but Heeter says the content has stood
the test of time.
“The participants teach each other peer to peer, and we have
experts come in for certain sessions. Plus, local elected officials and
business owners conduct several of the sessions too,” he explains.
Program coordinator Rachel Davis says the 12-week program
teaches young people leadership skills such as introducing a
business acquaintance, giving a firm handshake and making
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE
proper eye contact. At every session, students are put on the
spot and asked to publicly speak to groups ranging in size from
three to 100. Leadership Fayette County also gives high school-
ers tools to understand their weaknesses and strengths and self-
assess their personalities.
“Understanding individuality is an integral part of one’s
path to success,” says Davis. “It is my goal to help provide each
student with the tools necessary to explore their capacity and
find their success—to help them become stronger, rational, de-
liberate and confident adults.”
Sessions include teamwork building on an outdoor rope course
and a cooking challenge at a local restaurant. The session with
the school superintendent allows students to sit down and have
an honest conversation about the school system. Not only do
the students learn all the different roles and moving parts and
pieces of the school system, but they also have the opportunity
to offer suggestions. According to Davis, many of the changes
recommended by Leadership Fayette County participants have
been implemented over the years.
At least 200 students have graduated from Leadership
Fayette County. According to Heeter, all have attended college,
enrolled in advanced degree classes or joined the military. A
$1,000 scholarship is awarded to each student to help them
pursue their education.
“We want them to experience life outside of Fayette County,
WV, for a while, to learn and grow, and then when they choose
to come back, to make this their home again,” he says.
One aspect of the program’s mission is to change students’
perceptions of West Virginia and their hometowns so they will
come back as productive adults. Sundstorm is a perfect example.
A graduate of Marshall University, she returned home with a
bachelor’s degree in public relations from the university’s W. Page
Pitt School of Journalism & Mass Communications in 2010.
“I stay in West Virginia because I love my hometown of
Fayetteville and the New River Gorge region as a whole,” she
says. “There is simply so much potential. If I can play a small
role in helping that potential be met, then my skills have been
put to good use.”