A nine-month leadership program for high school sophomores, Oktibbeha Young Leaders is designed to develop an energetic and diverse group of informed and qualified young leaders who will become our business and community leaders of tomorrow.
How to Apply
Class of 2026– 2027 applications are open through May 8th at 5 p.m.
About the Program
The program allows students to explore varying aspects of business and economic development, education, law and criminal justice, health care, quality of life, and government.
Activities are designed to develop teamwork and collaboration, problem-solving, communication, organization and planning, ethics, networking, personal development, and leadership. Participants gain an increased awareness of how leadership affects all aspects of life.
Program Partners
Oktibbeha Young Leaders is a collaborative effort with the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, the Starkville Rotary Club, and Chick-fil-A Leader Academy.
For more information on the Oktibbeha Young Leaders program, please contact Hunter Harrington at (662) 323-3322 or email hharrington@starkville.org
Example Schedule
Please see last year’s schedule below. The focus areas for each day will be the same, but the specific day will vary. The student will miss one day of school every month, but it will be counted as an excused absence.
Each student must be dropped off at 8:00 a.m. and picked up at 3:30 p.m. daily.
Each day begins with the Chick-fil-A Leaders Academy curriculum, which focuses on key leadership skills of successful leaders and how to implement these skills as an emerging young leader.
September 10th: OYL Retreat. Students will kick off their time together by learning about each other, their own leadership styles, and how to work as a team.)
October 21st: Mayor, Police, Fire, City Officials (Students will explore key community leadership roles and how leaders work together to help a community thrive and grow.)
November 18th: Industry and Ingenuity. Students will visit local industries around the area to see what is made in the GTR and the impact industry recruitment has on our area.)
December 9th- Community Service (Students will learn the importance of community service in a leadership role.)
January 13th: Jackson (Students will visit the MS History Museum and Civil Rights Museum and meet with legislators at the state capitol.)
February 10th: Soft Skills (Students will learn that leadership involves more than just the classroom. Knowing how to budget, taking care of your mental and physical health, public speaking, cooking, changing a tire and more are just as important.)
March 17th: Fine Arts/Athletics. Students will explore the fine arts and entertainment careers in the Starkville community, ranging from MSU Athletics to Architecture.)
April 14th- Healthcare/Medical (Students will learn about and explore different opportunities in the medical field and how leadership guides life saving decisions.
** Students will also be required to speak at Rotary one Monday during the year and must complete a job shadowing day in the career of their choice.**
NEW: Hunter Harrington Scholarship
Application Deadline: May 1, 2026
Hunter Harrington Outstanding Oktibbeha Young Leaders Scholarships of $1,000 funded by the Starkville Rotary Club will be awarded to three OYL student from the 2023-2024 class during their senior year of 2026.
This scholarship will be awarded to the former OYL student who has demonstrated the most leadership skills since their OYL graduation and used the tools that were taught in OYL to impact their school, churches, community, etc.
The scholarship will be paid to the student’s university of their choice upon graduation from high school and enrollment into their selected university. The voting committee will be comprised of the Starkville Rotary Club President, Hunter Harrington, or designated person, Starkville Rotary Club OYL Chair, Starkville Rotary Club Grants Chair, and one at-large OYL committee member.
If there is ever a conflict of interest between any of the above-stated voting committee members and an OYL student, a representative for that person will be chosen, as deemed necessary, by the voting committee.
