Chatham High School Technology teacher Julianna Ryan has been selected as one of 25 applicants, from among thousands, to attend the fifth Annual Air Force/FIRST Leadership Experience, a summer leadership training program at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. The training experience is sponsored by FIRST, the organization that sponsors the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), in which CHS robotics students competed under Ryan’s leadership.

According to FIRST, acceptance to the program was determined by the ways in which the applicant demonstrated a history of “inspiring today’s youth to become the technical leaders of tomorrow.”

Ryan will spend three days at the Air Force Academy, touring the base and doing leadership and team-building activities with Air Force personnel to get a first-hand experience of the life of an airman.

Danielle Dagounis, supervisor of Instructional Design and Technology, said, “We are very excited about Ryan’s acceptance into this competitive leadership program.  We look forward to her applying the skills and information she will be learning to help us continue to develop our robotics program at Chatham High School, which is still in its first year.  The program has seen tremendous growth under Ms. Ryan’s supervision, and we look forward to seeing its continued growth.”