Congratulations to two solid citizens of the Bingen-White Salmon community: Jesse Trosper and Paul Campos. Trosper, 19, and Campos, 13, are longtime members of the Community Youth Center in White Salmon, and both earned the first annual Jack Barrett Leadership Award last Wednesday evening.
There is an old saying: "Think Globally, Act Locally." The contributions of Trosper and Campos are examples of the positive nature of that philosophy. By supporting their fellow young people in White Salmon, Trosper and Campos are helping to build a better world.
Trosper, who has been a member of the Youth Center for the past 12 years, will be leaving White Salmon this fall for service in the U.S. Navy. His presence and leadership will be missed. During his time at the center, he has been a mentor to other kids. For example, he is considered a "math whiz," and has gone out of his way to help other young people with their math homework.
Trosper also was responsible for getting the nice wooden cabinets built at the Youth Center, an item that was badly needed. He took the lead, making the project his mission as part of the requirements to earn his Eagle Scout designation.
Campos is currently the president of the Youth Center, a role he has served in for the past nine months. Campos takes a leadership role in planning Youth Center events, including field trips, fundraisers, and when to do the local litter patrols. He even helps to plan healthy meals for the kids at the center.
Through their actions and activities, both Campos and Trosper set a good example for other kids. With 110 members, the Youth Center needs solid leaders to maintain a positive program, and these two have clearly done a fine job of leading their peers.
In an era when positive role models are often in short supply, we honor these two for stepping forward to help other young people.
At the same time, White Salmon resident Jack Barrett deserves a great deal of appreciation for initiating the Leadership Award program at the Youth Center. His dedication and support of young people in the community has been truly impressive. Judy Meresse, coordinator of the Youth Center, and Linda Schneider, executive director of the Klickitat-Skamania Development Council, also have been doing a wonderful job -- especially considering they work with limited financial resources -- to help nurture and support these young people. The Youth Center has been further supported by the Bingen-White Salmon Rotary Club, the cities of White Salmon and Bingen, and the Klickitat County Board of Commissioners, as well as a number of volunteers.
The Youth Center has also helped educate its members with a number of vital workshops. The programs have included tobacco use prevention, drug use prevention, and sexual assault prevention.
A hearty round of applause is due all around for this team. They deserve thanks for all they are doing to make the community better. And a special thanks to Trosper and Campos, exceptional young people who have shown themselves to be strong and positive leaders.
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