Sam Werleman takes next step in her leadership journey

Sam Werleman, functions manager at The Tourist Hotel, is diving back into the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) for a second time.

She took part in the week-long leadership program just a few months ago to help grow her professional abilities for her new role at the hotel.

Now, Ms Werleman is making a return as a group leader.

She submitted her interest in the opportunity in August and has since been selected as one of just four new RYLA leaders across NSW.

“I enjoyed the RYLA experience so much as a participant that I just had to put my hand up to be a leader too,” Ms Werleman said.

“Being selected means I’ll get to see the program from a whole new angle, which will help me continue to develop my leadership skills as I mentor new RYLA participants.”

Ms Werleman is excited to be joining other former participants in the leadership role, especially since she’s already good friends with one of them.

“Charlotte and I actually bunked together when we did RYLA the first time around,” Ms Werleman said.

“Since attending, she’s started up her own Rotary eclub for young people in her area, which is just amazing.

“But she lives in Port Macquarie and studies in Sydney, so I’m excited to have the chance to reconnect with her in-person again as we step into our roles as leaders.”

Ms Werleman says Rotary’s selection process for the new leaders isn’t just a matter of “who has the best application”.

“Rotary considers which personalities will best align with the program, as well as who can take something away from their experience as leader,” she said.

“For example, some people might’ve gained everything they can from being a participant, so it might not be beneficial for them to return to RYLA straight away.

“Whereas myself and the other new leaders are keen to keep expanding our skills, so we’re excited to have been selected.”

RYLA is aimed at participants aged between 19 and 27-years-old, with Ms Werleman saying it caters to all kinds of different people.

“No matter your background, or where you’re at in your life journey, there’s plenty to be gained from this experience,” she said.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a school leaver, studying at university, or working, RYLA will provide you with the tools to expand your capabilities.”

“It’s especially great for those looking to pursue leadership, but there’s so many other areas you can develop with the lessons learnt.”

Ms Werleman says she’s looking forward to the unique program and everything Rotary has pulled together for it. “There’s a range of seminars that cover a variety of topics, so I’m interested to see what they’ll be all about this time,” she said.

“And there’s also lots of guidance on areas like goal-setting, as well as practical group work tasks, both of which come in handy in the real world.

“And, the first time I experienced RYLA, I took a lot from it – not just in terms of strategies I can use in my work life, but also ideas that I could apply to my personal life.”

“I really do believe it’s a great experience for young people, especially those in the local area that might not otherwise have access to this sort of opportunity.”