Young Parsippany Leader Heads to Washington D.C.

A Parsippany seventh-grader is in Washington D.C. to take part in a conference for young leaders.

Lauren McLaughlin, a seventh-grade student at Brooklawn Middle School, was selected among 250 outstanding middle school students from across the country to take part in the Junior National Young Leaders Conference, sponsored by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC)

The program runs for six days starting on Sunday.

Lauren is excited and looks forward to expanding her academic excellence, leadership skills and experience, she said before she left.

The Conference, Themed Voices of Leadership: Reflecting on the Past to Create the Future, “introduces young people to the rich tradition of leadership throughout American history, while helping them to develop their own leadership skills,” said the CYLC in a written statement.

“The aim of the Junior National Young Leaders Conference is to inspire students to recognize their own leadership skills, measure their skills against those of current and former leaders and return home with new confidence in their ability to exercise positive influence within their communities,” said Marguerite Regan, Ph.D., Dean of Academic Affairs for the CYLC.

During the program, Lauren and the other students will take part in educational activities and presentations and explore relevant sites, such as Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.’s museums and memorials.

“In addition to examining notable U.S. leaders and historic figures, students study the impact of leadership throughout critical periods of American history including the Civil War and Reconstruction, World War II, the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement,” the CYLC said.

 “Upon completion of JrNYLC, students will have gained a greater sense of the role of individuals in American democracy, as well as the responsibilities of being a leader.”