A Week That Belongs to Our Next Generation

Every summer, I am reminded that the future of Woodstock is not an abstract idea. It has a face, a name, and a whole lot of energy. For a week this past June, that future filled our city for the Mayor's Youth Leadership Academy, and I could not be prouder of the young people who showed up ready to lead.

The academy is a week-long program for rising high school juniors and seniors, and it is one of the most meaningful things we do all year. We host it in partnership with the University of Georgia's J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership, and their instructors have a gift for helping young people discover how they lead best. This year, 16 students joined us, our largest class yet, selected from a talented pool of applicants across Cherokee County.

Over five days, these students did not just read about local government. They lived it. They sat down with our City directors, walked through the departments that keep Woodstock running, and worked with the Fanning Institute on leadership styles, communication, and how to move through conflict. They traveled to the Georgia State Capitol to see our state government at work, and they visited the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), where they saw how our whole metro region plans, partners, and grows together.

What I love most about this week is watching the light come on. You can see the moment a student realizes that leadership is not a title. It is a way of showing up for the people around you. Our feedback surveys said it in the students' own words. The Capitol and ARC trip was the class favorite, and one student told us the best part was "getting to see government from an inside perspective." Another wrote that they "loved learning about leadership, learning about how our city works, and making new friends." As I often say, if we are going to keep our eye on what is next, we need to keep our eye on who is next. These students are who is next.

Thank you to the Fanning Institute, to our City staff, and to the families who trusted us with their children for the week. One survey response ended with a simple note: "Thank you for letting me be part of this." I promise you, the gratitude runs the other way. These 16 young leaders reminded all of us why we work so hard to build a city that feels like home — a home worth inheriting and worth leading.

If you know a rising junior or senior who is ready to grow, check WoodstockGa.gov next spring for 2027 applications. Woodstock's best days are still ahead, and they are in very good hands.