Fayette students cast critical eye toward future
As they progress through their junior-year school studies, a group of Fayette County students has cast a critical eye toward the future of the communities in which they live and learn.
Those students gathered on Thursday, March 13, for a leadership event at the Lewis Christian Community Center in Oak Hill.
'This is one of 12 or 14 sessions we do each year for Leadership Fayette County (LFC). And this is the 'Speaking Truth to Power,' combined with cooking challenges,' explained Geoff Heeter, one of the volunteer organizers of Leadership Fayette County. 'So, the kids are actually preparing the lunch they will serve to our guests, about 20 or so dignitaries from around the community.'
'This year, their story for 'Speaking Truth to Power' is what they hope the place would be like if indeed they would want to come back and live and work here. So, that's pretty powerful,' Heeter added.
'We invited local elected officials, members of civic clubs and, of course, we're always eternally grateful to the school system for allowing us to run this program for almost 25 years,' he said. 'Without their support, this wouldn't happen.
'We have a great track record in that this is a nonprofit, it's run by a board and several members of our board are alumni. Dr. Mandy (Wriston) and I both volunteer to administer the program and the mentoring of the program.'
While the students normally come up with the menu, a time crunch this year caused a change in the approach.
'I did the menu to simplify things,' Heeter said. 'Normally we have a lot longer, and I take them to Kroger and let them do the shopping and everything; that's an integral part of it. Some kids have never gone grocery shopping. Some kids have never cooked before.
'So, it's a pretty intense session for them: how to prepare food for a big group of people on a certain timeline.'
Heeter says the current installation of LFC students is 'a very interesting group.'
'It's our largest group ever,' he said. 'We have the largest class of applicants ever this spring, so we decided to add a few more slots, so we have 15 kids this year from around the county, from all high schools in the county.
'It's been a wonderful group. Very interestingly diverse in their ideals and their personalities, and that's really a big part of putting a team together.'
Junior Raeanne Perdue, a member of the Oak Hill High Class of 2026, is one of the Class of 2025 for LFC.
On Thursday, she helped prep asparagus and salads, while fellow students were handling other varied chores as the meal coalesced.
'We kind of just split up into different groups,' said Perdue. 'My group was specifically to cut up all the vegetables and do all that.'
'I think Leadership has gone fantastically,' she added. 'I don't know how it went for other groups, because I didn't hear much about Leadership until now.
'I thought (the decisions made this year) worked really well for our group and the time management and ultimately what went down. I just think overall the program went really well this year.'
Perdue said her LFC interview at the outset of the program allowed her to understand more of the concept of the program and enticed her to start learning more and participating.
Ahead of sitting down and breaking bread with the community leaders, the LFC students presented thoughts on the program and their future.
Among the suggestions they offered were more third-party services such as events that would help bring the community together and create better connections. And, one of the messages was that consideration in the future must be given to local community needs as well as those of tourists coming into the area.
Organizations represented were: City of Oak Hill, Canyon Rim Rotary Club, Lions Club of Fayetteville, Town of Fayetteville, Beckley campus Bluefield State, BridgeValley CTC, New River CTC, WVU Tech, Fayette County BOE, Leadership Fayette County alumni, Fayette County Chamber/New River Gorge CVB, Fayette County Community Foundation and the ICE Collaborative.
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