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Leadership Butler has been bringing groups of people together to work to not only develop their leadership skills, but also enhance their awareness of problems facing their communities and county alike.
Thursday evening, Leadership Butler recognized their graduating and incoming classes at the Hubbard Welcome Center.
“Leadership Butler is part of a movement of leadership programs,” Becky Wolfe, executive director, said, “and one of the oldest.”
Wolfe continued to share the history of the organization that started in 1988.
The speaker for evening was Sarah Slayton.
“I have to say it’s a huge honor to be here tonight,” Slayton said.
Slayton is a graduate of the Youth Leadership Butler program.
She shared about her childhood and different inspirations in her life.
One moment that impacted her life and changed her childhood dream of becoming a taxi driver was when her third grade teacher, Nancy Wagner, taught the class sign language.
After that lesson, her mother had her watch the movie “The Miracle Worker,” a story about Hellen Keller and Annie Sullivan. It was then she knew she wanted to be a teacher and was encouraged to learn a new sign a day.
Slayton went on to receive her elementary education degree from Friends University and a certificate in deaf interpretation at Wichita State University.
Her first job after graduation was working for the Andover School District as an interpreter for a first grade student.
After getting married, she moved to the Mulvane School District.
It was after having her second child her life was about to change. In April of 2010, 11 days after the birth of her son, Slayton was suffering from a severe migraine. It wasn’t until after a trip to the local clinic, two trips to the emergency room and two brain scans it was determined there was a brain bleed on the left side of her brain.
She suffered from a rare blood clot that was in a vein and caused low blood flow to the brain. It resulted in two strokes.
“The way everything worked out was very rare,” Slayton said.
Without being sent home the first time from the ER, they wouldn’t have caught the bleed in time.
It was two days before mother’s day when she was able to return home and noticed that her vision had been affected and wasn’t able to see clearly.
A year after the incident, Slayton still has side effects from the strokes, her leg feels heavy and she is still having vision problems. She has undergone one surgery out of possibly three, which has helped with the double vision.
Leadership Butler has been bringing groups of people together to work to not only develop their leadership skills, but also enhance their awareness of problems facing their communities and county alike.
Thursday evening, Leadership Butler recognized their graduating and incoming classes at the Hubbard Welcome Center.
“Leadership Butler is part of a movement of leadership programs,” Becky Wolfe, executive director, said, “and one of the oldest.”
Wolfe continued to share the history of the organization that started in 1988.
The speaker for evening was Sarah Slayton.
“I have to say it’s a huge honor to be here tonight,” Slayton said.
Slayton is a graduate of the Youth Leadership Butler program.
She shared about her childhood and different inspirations in her life.
One moment that impacted her life and changed her childhood dream of becoming a taxi driver was when her third grade teacher, Nancy Wagner, taught the class sign language.
After that lesson, her mother had her watch the movie “The Miracle Worker,” a story about Hellen Keller and Annie Sullivan. It was then she knew she wanted to be a teacher and was encouraged to learn a new sign a day.
Slayton went on to receive her elementary education degree from Friends University and a certificate in deaf interpretation at Wichita State University.
Her first job after graduation was working for the Andover School District as an interpreter for a first grade student.
After getting married, she moved to the Mulvane School District.
It was after having her second child her life was about to change. In April of 2010, 11 days after the birth of her son, Slayton was suffering from a severe migraine. It wasn’t until after a trip to the local clinic, two trips to the emergency room and two brain scans it was determined there was a brain bleed on the left side of her brain.
She suffered from a rare blood clot that was in a vein and caused low blood flow to the brain. It resulted in two strokes.
“The way everything worked out was very rare,” Slayton said.
Without being sent home the first time from the ER, they wouldn’t have caught the bleed in time.
It was two days before mother’s day when she was able to return home and noticed that her vision had been affected and wasn’t able to see clearly.
A year after the incident, Slayton still has side effects from the strokes, her leg feels heavy and she is still having vision problems. She has undergone one surgery out of possibly three, which has helped with the double vision.
“One of my goals was to be able to take my son to preschool,” she said.
Since she was not able to drive or use a bicycle, friends bought an adult tricycle with a cart behind it to be able to take her son to preschool.
“I’m up here and my prayer is not to share my problems but to share God’s faithfulness,” she said.
She ended her presentation by signing a song that has brought her comfort, “I Will Rise,” while her sister sang.
Part of Leadership’s Butler’s curriculum is the concentrating on three theories of leadership – servant leadership, 21st century leadership and civic leadership.
“I would sincerely like to thank the 2010 class for their hard work, facilitating the sessions and bringing in the different sponsorships,” Wolfe said.
Those graduating the program include Lindsay Baines, Dana Burns, Brandon Kauffman, Ryan Liess, Mike Roosevelt, Jennifer Stanyer, Ava Wedel, Jennifer ensky, Pam Hendrix, Carol Knolla, Jennifer McCausland, Josh Shaw, Jennifer Steinkamp and Curt Zieman.
The class worked on organizing volunteer forces for the many organizations in need. Part of this was coordinating with United Way to give them reference of where they can direct callers for the 2-1-1 program.
For the upcoming participants, they have set their project to focus on the Kansas Jaycees Cerebral Palsy Ranch in Butler County.
Those in the 2011 class are William Duggan, Erica Jones, Lindsy Light, Jodi Ocadiz, Tiffani Price, Syndee Scribner, John Hagman, Adam Knapp, Isaac McNary, Jason Patty, Susan Renner and Troy Tabor
They plan to contribute to their campaign to help keep the ranch continuing each year and also have a clean-up day to help get ready for next summer’s season.
They evening ended with a silent auction and the presentation of various awards.
