The Selma-Dallas County Youth Leadership Class held its graduation at Wallace Community College Selma on Tuesday afternoon. This year’s class had nearly two dozen students and all were from local high schools.

We’ve been supporters of both the youth leadership and adult class through the years because it brings people from different backgrounds together for the betterment of Selma as a whole. It also gives participants a chance to see many businesses Selma from a different point of view and often from behind the scenes.

At the end of each class, members are asked to unite for a class project.

This year’s youth class held an environmental literacy project, which focused on improving Selma’s environment and education system.  The students collected books on asthma and read them to elementary aged children.

Although they start small, many leadership projects have grown into full-fledge events. It’s easy to forget that one of Selma’s top annual fundraisers, the Alabama River Chili Cookoff, is the result of Leadership Class XVIII.

We want to thank the students who gave their time to be a part of the class. It’s always a good sign when a younger generation plays a part in giving back to the community it lives in.

Several employees of the Times-Journal have gone through the adult leadership class, and we encourage anyone in Selma looking to make a difference to give it strong consideration.

For more information, contact Callie Nelson at the Dallas County Extension Office at 875-3200.