Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Wednesday, May 25, 2011

“Youth Salute” has selected Sarah Caton of Lafayette High School as the 2011 Lexington Youth Leader of the Year, awarding her a $500 scholarship and a trip to October’s national leadership conference. Sarah also received a $4,000 scholarship from Georgetown College. 

Nate White of Bryan Station High School will also attend the “Town Meeting on Tomorrow” conference in St. Louis. Both students’ trips are courtesy of Holifield Photography.  

Youth Salute is conducted annually through the National Council on Youth Leadership in cooperation with the Central Kentucky Council on Youth Leadership.  

Students are nominated by high school counselors, teachers, principals and community leaders. Each prospect must be a high school junior, have at least a 3.0 grade-point average and have been chosen by peers or an adult for at least two leadership roles in school, religious or community-sponsored organizations during the previous two years.  

In addition to Sarah and Nate, other top youth leaders from Fayette County Public Schools were Rachel Geil of Henry Clay, Sarah Cleaver of Paul Laurence Dunbar and Corrie van Gessel of Tates Creek High. Their awards were sponsored by Batmark Engraving & Gifts. 

Rachel and Corrie also received $100 leadership awards from Holifield Photography and Central Bank & Trust Co., respectively, while Dunbar’s Sarah Cleaver and Shelby Henderson received a $500 ACT/SAT preparation course provided by College Finance & Planning: Class 101. 

More than 250 outstanding students from some 40 high schools were recognized at the May 15 awards ceremony in Richmond. Carole Harder, a leadership trainer for Olympic athletes and Fortune 500 companies, was the keynote speaker. EKU also hosted a student leadership seminar and parent programs.  

Eastern Kentucky University, Georgetown College and Midway College awarded a total of $60,000 in scholarships, while businesses donated an additional $8,000 in scholarships and other awards.  

The Central Kentucky Council on Youth Leadership has celebrated 18,880 student leaders in the past 31 years. Honorees are recognized with newspaper, television and radio salutes and photographic displays at Fayette Mall, shopping centers and schools.  

For more information, contact council chairman Jim Holifield at (859) 276-2040.