Four Manassas Students Named Finalists for Youth Leaders of the Year Award

Four Osbourn High School students will travel to St. Louis this month to enhance their leadership skills and interact with other students and adults who can help them broaden their horizons. 

Jorge Gonzalez, Lim Arne, Ryan Kunzer and David Peters are all Youth Leaders of the Year finalists and will attend the three-day Town Meeting of Tomorrow on Oct. 19-22 at St. Louis's Washington University, Almeta Radford, spokeswoman for Manassas City Public Schools said this week. 

The event brings youth leaders together with their adult counterparts for dialogue, leadership enhancement, experimental learning opportunities and friendship building.  

The four students are among the 14 seniors recognized by the high school's 2013-2014 "Youth Salute," school officials said.  Youth Salute is a part of the National Council on Youth Leadership, an organization with the mission of making the world better by developing leaders today. 

The other 10 Youth Salute students are: Maralee Bell, William Dalton, Bailey Dufrene, Kesha Headen, Dale Houchins, Lauren Obaugh, Shreya Raman, Amy Skaggs, Julie Weaver and Patrick Wilson. 

All 14 of the students were recognized on Sept 24 by the school board and during a special ceremony at the high school on Sept. 15. where Jesse Radford, pastor of Upper Room Christian Cathedral in Manassas, served as the keynote speaker.  

“Excellence is doing the best that you can on the level that you’re on,” Radford said during his keynote address titled, “Becoming a Person of Excellence." 

The pastor went on to offer nuggets of advice for the students concerning the characteristics of great leaders and reminded them that doing their best at all times is important because the "opportunity of a lifetime is only available during the lifetime of the opportunity. "   

“Osbourn High School is very proud of all these remarkable young men and women,” said Juan Lopez, OHS Youth Salute advisor. “All the students who participated in this year’s program are winners. I feel confident that in a few years, our country's future will be in good and capable hands.” 

A biographical sketch and photos of the students are displayed in the Manassas Police Station lobby.  The display will travel to Prince William County's Central Community Library beginning Oct. 18.