Lake Cormorant student Eli Hickerson had a chance to try out his dream of speechwriting when he took the podium of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations this spring. He was part of the DeSoto County leadership program funded by an anonymous Donor Advised Fund. The trip to New York capped this year’s studies for 28 juniors and seniors.
Superintendent’s Youth Leadership Council was born from a desire to provide DeSoto County School teens with access to opportunities common in other regions of the country and among more affluent demographics. A donation from the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi allowed DeSoto County Schools to create SYLC with three goals: raise cultural awareness, develop civic consciousness, and build leadership skills within teens.