2013 Youth Leadership Academy By Bash Brown

Day 1 The morning of the first day of the Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) consisted of introductions and the issuing of equipment for the week. Each Ambassador received booklets, t-shirts and water bottles for field excursions, and a camera to capture their experience. Following lunch, we piled into the vans and proceeded to the Cairo Museum to meet with retired General Parker Hills, where he spoke to us about the aspects of a great leader: P.R.I.D.E. P.R.I.D.E: Perspective, Responsibility, Intuition, Daring, Endurance.

Day 2: Interpreter Day Now that we were no longer strangers and were well equipped for the week, we were able to devote our whole day to our learning experience. However, nature disagreed with us. The cannon firing we were scheduled to see was rained out. As a result, we proceeded onward to Natchez to view the antebellum home Melrose. On our way along the Natchez Trace, we stopped at Mount Locust, a historic inn.

Day 3: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service This day was my personal favorite. The YLA traveled to Tensas National Wildlife Refuge to meet with biologist John Dickson and his crew in the field as they tagged birds. We worked side by side with them, even holding and releasing the birds once they were properly tagged. As we toured the Refuge throughout the day, we learned how to age trees, irrigate fields, and identify snakes (a lesson originally not intended to be included!)

Day 4: Archeology On the fourth day, archeologist Chris Koeppel presented a powerpoint on headstones, cemeteries, and grave ethics. We then traveled to the Hebrew Cemetery within the park, where we performed our own headstone rubbings. Later that same day, we traveled to the Winterville Mound in Greenville, Mississippi. Once there, we worked alongside an archeological dig program from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Day 5:Natural Resources On Friday, we spent the morning with Virginia DuBowy, the Natural Resources Manager. She discussed the different animals and plants that proliferate the park and even simulated an experiment on animal habitats. The following afternoon, Patty Montague, a Law Enforcement Officer in the park, gave us a lesson on crime scene investigation.

The morning was spent applying wax to monumental busts on Pemberton Avenue using paintbrushes and blowtorches alongside Bendel White and Michael Bercume. We then traveled to Dr. Sessums’ art studio in Brookhaven, where we received a tour of the facilities and his house.

Day 7: Artifact Storage Sadly, our experience had to come to an end. It did, however, end on a VERY high note. The Sunday following the YLA, all of the ambassadors gathered together by the Cairo to eat, proceeding from there to the artifact storage facilities. We were able to see, first-hand, objects which had previously been hidden for 150 years.

Thank you so much for this opportunity!

YLA