Pike County High School seniors Laken Maulden and Chelsey Holland attended the Lions Club Leadership Forum at Troy University during their summer break. And, as a result, they will graduate high school committed to leaving a legacy for which they can be proud.

“We learned a lot about leadership at the Lions Club Leadership Forum but what most impressed me was that we learned you will leave a legacy – good or bad,” Laken said. “We want to leave a legacy that we can be proud of.”

Chelsey said she had not given much thought to legacies and certainly not to leaving one but, after the forum, she is determined to she will leave a legacy, a proud one.

Laken and Chelsey were recommended for the leadership conference by PCHS Principal Willie Wright and both said they were honored to represent their school and the Brundidge Lions Club.

“The Lions Club is a wonderful service organization that does a lot of good things in our community and across the nation,” Chelsey said. “Service clubs like the Lions Club make our community a better place.”

Laken said the forum helped her realize the roles that service clubs and organizations play in the community and the importance of good leadership in these clubs.

“We had outstanding speakers and we came away motivated to be better leaders and better followers,” she said.

“One thing that really made me think was being told there is no one day without day one. Every day in our lives is day one and we have an opportunity to do something good and beneficial every day and we should do that.”

Chelsey said the forum also stressed the importance of teamwork.

“You have to be a good leader and you have to be a good team player,” she said. “Many times you can’t do things by yourself. You have to work as a team.”

Each PCHS senior decided on her own legacy.

“We had time to sit and think and I thought about my legacy,” Chelsey said. “I want my legacy to be my good character. I want to be the same person all the time. And, I want to be my best self all the time.”

Laken said she wants her legacy to be that each of days will be better than the day before.

“If today, I don’t do all I could do, then tomorrow I want to make sure that I do better and the next day and the next,” she said.

But for now, both Chelsey and Laken are captains of the PCHS cheerleading squad. Chelsey is president of the senior class and Laken is vice president.  Both are members of the National Honor Society. Chelsey is president of the SGA and tutors students in math. Laken is FBLA president and plays volleyball and softball.

Both Lions Club Leadership Forum participants plan to attend college.

Chelsey plans to study optometry and Spanish. Laken wants to be an elementary school teacher.

But no matter what career paths they take, both will be willing to assume leadership roles in their communities and will just as willingly be team players.

Chelsey and Laken expressed appreciation to the Brundidge Lions Club for the opportunity to attend the leadership forum and each pledged to strive for a legacy for which the Lions will be proud.