Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Class of 2023

Leadership Lackawanna, an affiliate of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, recently celebrated the graduation of 42 high school students from its teen program, Tomorrow’s Leaders Today (TLT), which is graciously sponsored by NBT Bank.

Leadership Lackawanna’s seven-month TLT program develops the leadership, interpersonal and managerial skills of high school juniors and provides real-world experiences in financial literacy, health care, STEAM, philanthropy, crime and corrections, non-profit organizations, and community service. 

Throughout the program, students were engaged in various sessions facilitated by local organizations serving the greater Scranton area. In addition to invaluable lessons in the program focus areas, students were given the unique opportunity to engage with business leaders and network with students from 14 local schools. Their program culminated with the allocation of $15,000 in grant money from the Scranton Area Community Foundation to three deserving local nonprofits selected by the students. In addition, each student completed five service hours dedicated to helping 14 local nonprofit organizations.

The 2023 Tomorrow’s Leaders Today graduates :

  1. Adrian Agnello, Western Wayne HS
  2. Riley Aquilino, Valley View HS
  3. Brittain Banull, West Scranton HS
  4. Braden Beecham, Riverside HS
  5. Brooke Beemer, Abington Heights HS
  6. Brooke Bilski, Holy Cross HS
  7. Katherine Boykin, Abington Heights HS
  8. Caden Brennan, Carbondale Area HS
  9. Jocelyn Brown, Carbondale Area HS
  10. Dinello Capalongo, West Scranton HS
  11. Rhayni Carroll, Western Wayne HS
  12. Megan Cosklo, Carbondale Area HS
  13. Elizabeth Cummings, Old Forge HS
  14. Haylee Czyzyk, Commonwealth Charter Academy
  15. Kate Evans, West Scranton HS
  16. Natalie Fuller, Valley View HS
  17. Roger Getts, Scranton Prep
  18. Madeline Herold, Abington Heights HS
  19. Andrew Houseknecht, Commonwealth Charter Academy
  20. Dane Huggler, Abington Heights HS
  21. Mae Kaufman, Mid Valley Secondary Cent
  22. Alexandra King, Scranton HS
  23. Geanna Kirchner, Dunmore HS
  24. Corrina Maldonado, West Scranton HS
  25. Odin Marrow, Commonwealth Charter Academy
  26. Patricia McAndrew, Lakeland Jr/Sr HS
  27. Brian McCormack, Scranton HS
  28. Natalie Micknick, Lakeland HS
  29. Mason Miluszusky, Carbondale Area HS
  30. Connor Peters, Valley View HS
  31. Mason Peters, Valley View HS
  32. Julia Possanza, Lakeland Jr/Sr HS
  33. Grace Rodriguez, Scranton HS
  34. Emily Romanowski, Western Wayne HS
  35. Carolena Ryon, Lackawanna Trail HS
  36. Paris Santee, West Scranton HS
  37. Emily Stefani, West Scranton HS
  38. Gavin Walsh, Scranton Prep
  39. Ethan Warring, Scranton HS
  40. Alexa B. Williams, Riverside HS
  41. Mary Zabielski, Valley View HS
  42. Yingqi (Angela) Zeng, Abington Heights HS

Leadership Lackawanna’s TLT Program accepts applications from sophomores who attend high school in Lackawanna County and its surrounding areas, as well as all charter and technical schools and homeschool students. Learn more online at www.LeadershipLackawanna.org.

Photo: Front L-R; Riley Aquilino; Madeline Herold; Elizabeth Cummings; Mae Kaufman; Brooke Bilski; Alexa Willliams; Natalie Fuller; Corrina Maldonado; Angela Zeng; Jocelyn Brown; Emily Romanowski; Paris Santee; Grace Rodriguez; Brooke Beemer; Kate Evans; Second Row L-R: Odin Marrow; Caden Brennan; Braden Beecham; Rhanyni Carroll 

Emily Stefani; Carolena Ryon; Julia Possanza; Geanna Kirchner; Patricia McAndrew; Haylee Czyzyk; Megan Cosklo; Gavin Walsh; Back Row L-R: Dane Huggler; Adrian Agnello; Mary Zabielski; Mason Peters; Connor Peters; Brittain Banull; Roger Getts; Dinello Capaolongo; Mason Miluszusky; Katherine Boykin; Brian McCormick; Alex King; Natalie Micknick; Not Pictured: Ethan Warring; Andrew Houseknecht

About The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce
The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit organization that works to improve the area’s economic environment and quality of life by offering programs and services which stimulate economic growth, promote business prosperity and nurture educational opportunities. For more information about the Chamber, visit www.scrantonchamber.com.

About Leadership Lackawanna
Leadership Lackawanna is a 501(c)(3) charitable, nonprofit organization in northeastern Pennsylvania dedicated to community leadership and professional development.  Its six programs – Tomorrow’s Leaders Today, Leadership Collegiate, Core, Leadership Fundamentals 2.0, Executive and Welcome Scranton! – enhance the skills, connections and knowledge of emerging and established leaders, enabling them to better serve in our communities, workplaces and organizations.  Established in 1982, Leadership Lackawanna has created more than 2,500 community leaders.  For more information, visit www.leadershiplackawanna.com.

Leadership Lackawanna Hires Program Coordinator

The Chamber is proud to announce the addition of Jennifer Strzelec as program coordinator for its affiliate Leadership Lackawanna, the area’s premier community leadership and professional development organization.

In this role, Strzelec primarily supports the Tomorrow’s Leaders Today program – a seven-month initiative for high school juniors. This includes recruitment, marketing, evaluations, and administrative support.

Strzelec has several years of experience as a preschool aide at Bright Beginnings Preschool in Mt. Cobb and at the YMCA in King George, Virginia. She also served in the United States Army in the avionics division at both Fort Hood in Texas and Schofield Barracks in Hawaii.

Strzelec earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Temple University and is currently earning her MBA at West Chester University.

Apply today for a Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Grant

Does your organization provide work in any of the following areas?

  • Environmental and/or Local Parks Projects
  • Facility Improvement for Animal Welfare
  • Homeless Programs

Grants are available through the Tomorrow’s Leaders Today (TLT) grants program.

The Scranton Area Community Foundation is accepting requests for proposals for the Tomorrow’s Leaders Today (TLT) grants program. Applications will be accepted from charitable organizations in Lackawanna County through Friday, January 15, 2022.

What is the Tomorrow’s Leaders Today (TLT) grants program?

Tomorrow’s Leaders Today (TLT) is a youth leadership program of Leadership Lackawanna that provides high school juniors with the opportunity to meet with community leaders and decision-makers. In addition to leadership development, the students are also required to complete a philanthropy curriculum conducted by the Scranton Area Community Foundation. TLT seeks to help participants realize what they can do to make a difference in their community as young philanthropists and to further develop their leadership skills.

The Scranton Area Community Foundation is proud to partner with Leadership Lackawanna in introducing the concept of philanthropy and grantmaking to our region’s youth. The Scranton Area Community Foundation allocates funding for the TLT class to grant. Priority areas are chosen by the TLT students. In 2022, grants will be provided to organizations working to make a difference in the following Priority Areas: Environmental and/or Local Parks Projects Facility Improvement for Animal Welfare Homeless Programs Grant applications for the TLT grants program are available through the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s online grant management portal. The maximum grant amount awarded per grant for a 2022 TLT grant is $2,000.

Applications will be accepted from charitable organizations in Lackawanna County through Friday, January 15, 2022.

Apply

To submit an application, you will need to first create an account in our online grant management portal if your organization has not already done so. Please email grants@safdn.org with questions.

Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Graduate, Nora Betts, Announces Local Project

Nora Betts, a 2021 Tomorrow’s Leader Today graduate, has announced her Girl Scout Gold Award Project. 

Betts will build and install four bat boxes on homes in NEPA with threatened and unwanted bats. Informational signs will also be installed on the Lackawanna Heritage Trail to educate passersby on the importance of bats and bat boxes.

The Instagram @norabetts.batbox is dedicated to the project and serves as a place for live updates as well as an entertaining educational tool for members of the community and beyond.

If you’d like more information or are interested in having a bat box installed on your home, contact Nora at norabetts.batbox@gmail.com