Junior Caroline Sawhill recently graduated from the second cohort of Youth LEAD Georgia, a transformative leadership program housed in and facilitated by the University of Georgia’s J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development in partnership with Chick-fil-A. She joined 27 other high school students from across the State of Georgia in this highly selective, competitive program.
The graduation ceremony, held Nov. 10 at Trilith Studios in Fayetteville, marked the culmination of a year-long journey in leadership development, civic engagement and experiential learning. Throughout the year, students traveled across the state, participating in leadership sessions, engaging with local business and community leaders within Georgia.
“This program was a highlight of my year,” said Sawhill. “I will always be so thankful for the lessons that I learned and this opportunity to open my eyes to the many different ways of living and working within the State of Georgia.”
The cohort met five times, including four regional retreats in Athens, Cartersville, Columbus, and Atlanta; a four-day bus tour; and an optional summer summit that brought together over 150 youth from across the state, which Sawhill chose to attend. Experiential learning throughout the program was accompanied by dialogue on current topics facing the state as well as interaction with business and community leaders.
“Every time that we had a retreat, the cohort also had the opportunity to speak with strong leaders in many different industries around the State of Georgia,” said Sawhill. “We spoke to people such as Mr. Morehead, the president of the University of Georgia; Alex Vann, a Chick-fil-A owner and operator in Columbus; and Dr. Deb Angerami, the CEO of Phoebe Putney Hospital in Albany.”
At the conclusion of the program, Sawhill was one of nine members of the cohort to be awarded a Bullard Community Champion grant, designed to empower students to implement service projects in their local communities. Funded by Rodney Bullard, CEO of The Same House, and Regions Bank, these grants support youth-led initiatives that address community needs or create new opportunities. To receive the grant, students were required to develop a plan to address a local need or opportunity and identify and collaborate with a community partner.
“The funding I received through the grant will go towards building six 'Little Libraries' around parks in Floyd County,” said Sawhill. “This project will be implemented in the new year, and I will provide updates to the Youth LEAD leaders before I give my final presentation at the Youth LEAD Summit in July of 2026. This project means a lot to me because I have loved reading from a very young age, and being able to promote reading to children who might not have as many opportunities is super important to me.”
Sawhill looks forward to serving as a mentor for the next Youth LEAD Georgia cohort, which will include Darlington sophomore Wren Booker.
A four-year day student from Rome, Sawhill is the daughter of Mary (Hight ’96, LD ’16) and Matt Sawhill (’96, LD ’20). She is a member of The Darlington Players, the tennis team, and The Darlingtones female a cappella group in addition to serving as co-president of the Model UN Club.
The Youth LEAD Georgia program, now preparing to enter its third year in existence, equips youth with the skills and knowledge necessary to tackle challenges that impact Georgia's vitality as future leaders of the state. Thanks to a $1.5 million pledge from Chick-fil-A to the UGA Fanning Institute, Youth LEAD Georgia is offered at no cost to participants, ensuring accessibility for students from diverse backgrounds.
