VALDOSTA – Pine Grove Middle School’s Ladies of Excellence and Young Men of Excellence groups had a leadership training and luncheon before the Christmas break.

The training for the group of 80 seventh- and eighth-grade students was held at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center, school officials said.

A group of guest speakers took time out of their busy schedules to meet the students. Speakers include Angie Crawford, State Farm insurance agent; Rodney Green, assistant superintendent with Lowndes County Schools; Lt. Dereck Willis, fire inspector/fire investigator with the City of Valdosta; and Sgt. Sabrina Smith with the Valdosta Police Department.

Crawford engaged students in a team-building activity to show students what type of leadership skills they possess. 

Green shared tips on being a great leader by engaging the entire group with a thought-provoking question: What does the “I” in iPhone stand for? The answers were: information, individual, instruct, inform and inspire. He encouraged the group to use those five words when it comes to being an effective leader, school officials said. 

Willis and Smith interacted with the group while stressing the importance of making good decisions and identifying qualities of a true leader.

Ladies of Excellence sponsors are Dr. Jamie Foster-Hill, Sandy Alcidonice-Whitfield, Alchanda Mayfield-Harrison, Brittany Carswell and Dr. Heather Morin; Young Men of Excellence sponsors are Coach Derrick Yarbrough, Coach Will Hardesty, Joe James, Dillon Swilley and Coach Kalvin Zoucha.