By KENNA MCCONNACHIE
We are thrilled to announce that the 18th Annual Rising Stars Miniature Golf Tournament & Raffle will take place on Saturday, March 5, at Camelot Golfland in Anaheim.
The event will last from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is an amazing opportunity to support your community while taking part in a fun game of miniature golf with friends and family. In addition, golfers will have the chance to purchase raffle tickets and win prizes which include a Canon camera, an iPad, and even tickets to Disneyland!
Funds raised from the tournament will support next year’s Rising Stars Youth Leadership Program. Participants will take part in a variety of interactive leadership and Japanese American cultural workshops run by professional trainers. Throughout the program, students learn leadership, networking, and speaking skills while developing life-long friendships throughout the five-month span. They use their skills and knowledge from the program to plan, organize, and host the golf tournament.
At our first workshop, in November, the Rising Stars 18 students got the opportunity to participate in the “Speak to Persuade” workshop led by Vanna Novak. We were taught important public speaking skills such as using hand gestures while speaking and making eye contact with people throughout the entire audience.
Each of us were recorded giving a short oral presentation to the group, and Vanna gave each of us suggestions on how to improve our public speaking. For me personally, I learned that I should have a wider stance while presenting and make eye contact with members of the audience. By the end of the session, I can definitely say I felt more comfortable with public speaking and learned skills that will be especially helpful for giving school presentations.
I would love for future Rising Stars students to be able to participate in amazing workshops such as this one.
You can support the Rising Stars Youth Leadership Program by participating in the tournament as a golfer. Tickets, which include lunch, will cost $20 for adults and $15 for children. A lunch-only price will cost $10. You can also support by purchasing raffle tickets for $2 each, giving you the chance to win a variety of fun prizes!
Sponsorships are available and you can find more information about them on our website: https://www.risingstarsylp.org/golf.html.
We hope to see everyone at the Golf Tournament and look forward to putting on a fun event for the community!
Kenna McConnachie is a junior who attends Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies. A Rising Stars 18 Youth Leadership Program participant, she is interested in developing leadership skills, preparing for college, and connecting with her Japanese culture. She spends her time running cross country and playing varsity basketball for her high school.