The Kingman Daily Miner (AZ) - Home-schooled trio headed to leadership camp

The Kingman Daily Miner (AZ)
Home-schooled trio headed to leadership camp
Roddys, Cirre among 6 Arizona students ‘Making Waves’ in Philadelphia
Terry Organ
Miner Staff Writer

June 29, 2007

KINGMAN - Three students who have been home-schooled all their lives will attend a leadership camp in late July.

William Roddy, 14, his sister, Sara Roddy, 12, and Joshua Cirre, 13, were among only six Arizona students chosen to attend K12 Virtual Academy's "Making Waves" Leadership Camp set for July 25-28 at Villanova University in Philadelphia.

"K12 Virtual Academy pays for the camp, and Arizona Virtual Academy pays their airfare," said Kathy Roddy, mother of two of the students from Kingman. "AZVA also will provide a chaperone."

Joshua recently moved to Winslow. However, he also qualified for the camp while living here by writing an essay of 500-1,500 words on what he would like to do to make a significant change in his community, Arizona, the United States or the world, Kathy Roddy said.

William, who is preparing to start ninth grade, said he initially wrote an essay of about 2,500 words, and then had to scale it back to stay within the specified criteria. He submitted it to two on-line teachers, who read it and wrote letters of recommendation on his behalf to the camp.

"I chose gasoline alternatives (worldwide) as my topic," William said. "We don't use them, but certainly could here.

"Gas prices are what led me into it. I'd done some prior research on hybrid cars."

Essays were to be submitted by May 31, and he did not begin his research until that date, William said. Fortunately, an across-the-board extension was granted to all students, so they had until June 7 to submit their essays.

A total of 100 online students across the country were accepted into the camp and they were advised of acceptance via e-mail June 18.

Sara chose diapers as her topic and made her focus a national one.

"I'd like U.S. makers to take all the bad stuff out of them, like toxins and crude oil," Sara said. "Most other developed countries already have taken out the toxins in diapers, so I know we could make them better here."

Kathy Roddy said Sara had previously written a comparison paper on cloth vs. disposable diapers, a project taking about two weeks. It was then she discovered about toxins in diapers.

The essay camp came up soon after, and Sara spent another two weeks researching her topic and four days writing her 800-plus-word essay. She submitted it to one teacher, who wrote her a recommendation and sent it in with the essay.

Joshua left a short release with the Roddy family before moving to Winslow on June 25.

"When I saw the Making Waves essay contest for the leadership camp, I knew it was for me," he stated.

"I wrote my essay on organizing litter clean-up clubs in schools and communities.

"By attending this leadership camp in Philadelphia, I know it will help me strengthen my leadership skills and teach me to be a better leader to serve my church and community."

Camp participants will attend six leadership workshops dealing with such things as motivation, communication styles, time management, presentation skills, positive risk taking and life map creation.

They also will engage in the Leadership Capstone Project in which they divide into small groups and go through a community service simulation exercise.