Kristina Kennedy
Kennedy at RYLA drop off
For the first time since 2019, Rotary District 6690 held the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), a three-day camp that brings students recognized for their leadership skills together from all over central and southeastern Ohio for the opportunity to further those skills and make connections.
To participate in RYLA, students must be a member of their school’s Interact Club, and selected and sponsored by their local Rotary Club. This year the Dublin A.M. Rotary Club sponsored three Dublin high school students – Dublin Coffman senior Grace Kennedy and Dublin Scioto juniors Mitra Konkimalla and Jiya Purani – who attended RYLA this past July.
“(The selected students are) young folks that care about their community and who care about others,” says John Witt, advisor of Scioto’s Interact Club.
As the three young leaders returned to Dublin’s schools this fall, they were motivated and energized by the unique opportunities at RYLA, and enthusiastic to share the skills they learned and encourage their fellow students to attend the camp. Their experiences have provided eye-opening connections with other students and furthered their dedication to serving not only their local communities, but communities all over Ohio and the world at large.
A history of service
Mitra Konkimalla
Purani and Konkimalla
The three selected students all hold officer positions within their respective schools’ Interact Club. Available at all three Dublin high schools and two of its middle schools, Interact Clubs are a youth component to Rotary International that provide spaces for students to develop leadership skills and understanding through service projects.
At Dublin schools, these projects have included donating homemade cards and blankets to children's hospitals and retirement communities. Dublin’s Interact Clubs have also collaborated on larger events such as Dublin Strong, an event for elementary aged kids and their families held in April of 2026 that raised money and donations for One Dublin and the Dublin Food Pantry.
“I think it’s really important for youth to be able to connect with other people and to be able to understand how important service is because a lot of people might do clubs for making it look good on college (applications),” says Purani, president of Scioto’s Interact Club. “But once you get into the club you see that there is more to life than college (applications).”
Starting in 1962, the club got its name from the combination of the words “international” and “action,” emphasizing two of its core values: international understanding and turning motivation into tangible action. RYLA began about a decade later, adopted by Rotary International in 1971. These annual events, hosted by individual Rotary Districts, provide a space for students from different Interact Clubs and other young people involved in Rotary programs to meet and further their commitments to becoming strong leaders.
“I think it’s really important for youth to be able to connect with other people and to be able to understand how important service is because a lot of people might do clubs for making it look good on college (applications). But once you get into the club you see that there is more to life than college (applications).” - Jiya Purani
Adventures in Athens
Mitra Konkimalla
Inside Passion Works Studio
From July 16-18, Kennedy, Konkimalla and Purani joined 41 more of Rotary District 6690’s rising leaders at Ohio University for RYLA. Programming started with icebreakers and team-building activities focused on developing communication skills as the participants were divided into three teams. Their teams built towers, raced marbles and performed skits. Participants were also asked to work on reflective projects such as creating a personal mission statement and writing letters to their future selves.
Participants attended lectures by a number of motivational speakers, including Dublin-based author Jeremy Bradstreet. Copies of his book, Make Your Footprints, were gifted to RYLA participants.
Participants also got the chance to venture off-campus to help with service projects. The students helped paint a community mural in downtown Athens and helped create materials for Passion Works Studio, a nonprofit art studio that provides an inclusive space for disabled artists.
Getting to practice living on a college campus was an added bonus. RYLA participants lived in the OU dormitories and were assigned random roommates. They ate in the dining hall and enjoyed the freedom of exploring campus, playing games and watching movies with their new friends before the 11 p.m. curfew.
“I came back with a lot of meaningful experiences,” says Konkimalla. “The community was definitely my favorite part.”
Lasting impacts
Kristina Kennedy
RYLA program close out
For Kennedy and Konkimalla, who joined their schools’ Interact Clubs their freshman years, the club has been central to many of their high school experiences. Purani joined her middle school’s Interact Club in sixth grade resulting in five years of projects, friendships and opportunities.
Reflecting upon their experiences with RYLA and their respective Interact Clubs, all three students say that the camp and clubs have had a strong impact on not just their current lives, but also on how they see their futures.
“I feel like being a leader can apply to a bunch of different fields,” says Kennedy.
Mitra Konkimalla
The mural RYLA participants painted in downtown Athens
As president of Coffman’s Interact Club, Kennedy has had the chance to coordinate meetings and plan the service projects that originally drew her to the club. Her time with RYLA at OU has placed the school at the top of her list for college applications. Konkimalla credits her time as Scioto Interact Club’s social media manager to helping her learn design and communication skills as well as opening her eyes to a variety of career paths where she could help people.
“The thing I try to consistently convey to the Rotarians who sponsor Interact is that what they’re doing is helping young people establish a habit of giving back to their community,” says Witt. “It’s really awesome and inspiring to see.”
Abby Van Voorhis is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
