Holman joins the ranks of young leaders in Mahoning

By GRACE WYLER gwyler@vindy.com

David Holman, a sophomore at Boardman High School, comes from a line of young leaders in Mahoning County.

Holman was one of 48 students inducted into the 2010 sophomore class of the Youth Mahoning Valley Leadership program on Jan. 27. Holman’s father and brother both participated in the program, which is run by the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The program selects sophomore and junior students in Mahoning and Trumbull counties who have demonstrated leadership potential. It seeks to provide these students with tools to continue to be leaders in the community.

Holman said he has demonstrated his leadership abilities through his involvement in school activities — he has held office in school bands, plays tennis and is a member of the Latin Club, the Business Club and the Medical Careers Club at Boardman High.

“The program helps us to be better leaders and help the community through programs and interactions with the community and with each other,” Holman said.

The program aims to address the challenges and problems in the community, as well as to explore opportunities in the area. Meetings with the students focus on current events and issues, such as health care, politics and social services.

Students in the program come from a variety of backgrounds and are given the chance to share one another’s point of view.

Holman said that he has enjoyed meeting people from different parts of the Mahoning Valley community.

“People get to spit a few topics out and we put out our ideas about them,” he said. “It has helped us see where other people are coming from, see their perspectives.”

The program provides students with the opportunity to learn more about their community while also honing their leadership skills, Tony Paglia, vice-president for government affairs for the Chamber of Commerce, said.

“We are getting a lot of our young people involved in community leadership,” he said.