Daniel Menz Talks About His RYLA Experience
Scarborough Rotary
October 21st, 2014
Daniel Menz is a senior at Cape Elizabeth High School and a graduate of RYLA. He talked of how RYLA inspired him to become a different person.
"I went home after RYLA and told my mother 'I am a Leader' ", Daniel Menz recalled as he spoke to the club Tuesday. RYLA was a life-changing experience for me. "After that", he said, "I knew I wanted to have an impact on the world". Like other RYLArians, he said more with his pauses and warm smiles than his words could express, though he is a very articulate and confident public speaker. He thanked Dru Laduke (Past President Saco Bay Rotary Club, Dru faciltates the public speaking element at RYLA) for that.
Shortly after RYLA he began wilderness hiking with friends he met from Chiwonkee, which is an environmental education organization based in Wiscasset, Maine, that inspires transformative growth, teaches appreciation and stewardship of the natural world. He talked about how both experiences have impacted him. He is applying to Harvard for early decision.