Ayla Longacre

Ayla Longacre – Ohio
Nomination & Photography by Alex Spence Photography
Issue 88 of Inspiring Teens Magazine
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Nomination: Ayla, is Senior Class President. I truly believe she was chosen to lead her classmates not just for her resume, but for her big heart! Over the past 6 years, Ayla has competed in multiple speech competitions where her main goal was not to win, but to share her ideas and spread that message of hope and love to her fellow community. Ayla is involved in tons so let’s just name a few; Volleyball, Swim, Teen Institute, Ohio Attorney General Teen Ambassador Board, Marion Community Foundation Youth Philanthropy Program and the Paul Robeson Speech Academy.
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Photography by Alex Spence Photography
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What is most rewarding about being the Senior Class President?
The most rewarding thing about being Senior Class President is getting to be a role model for others. I try and do this in every leadership role or activity that I participate in but being class president is sort of different in the sense that everyone is always looking up to you. You are automatically appointed as a leader but what really matters is what you decide to do with everyone watching.

How would you describe your leadership style?
If I had to describe my leadership style, I would say that I try to include everyone. Some leaders would just push others around and tell them what to do or assign them directly to something that they may not want to do. Instead, I think working together and listening to each others ideas is more important than holding all the power in my own hands.

What has been your favorite leadership activity?
My favorite leadership activity is definitely being on youth board in my local substance free club in my community. Our program is called Teen Institute and is involved with 11 schools in our community. Anyone can join this club however there are a few leaders from each school that are chosen to make up the youth board. We are the representatives from our schools and get to come together outside of school in order to plan events and represent what being substance free really means. This leadership activity has brought me so many opportunities and has given me my best friends.

How did you get involved in speech competitions?
I got involved in speech competitions when I was in the 6th grade. I wrote an essay in elementary school that I had read aloud at an assembly and a year later I was pointed in the direction of the Peace and Freedom Committee who holds the annual Martin Luther King Jr. oratorical contest. I was nervous my first time competing but ever since then, getting to spread my message has never been more pleasing to me as a young woman in this country. I know have competed in a total of 13 contests and many other speaking opportunities.

What is a speech competition like?
When competing in an oratorical contest, things definitely can get a little nerve racking. Usually once you arrive, you check in and find a seat at the front of the room or in the same area as the other competitors. Sometimes I have gone in order of age or in order of a random draw. You then get called to the podium to speak to the audience and the panel of judges who are normally in the front row or in the very back of the room. After everyone has finished speaking, the judges finalize their scores and the winners are announced.

What do you talk about to spread hope and love?
When talking about spreading love and hope to our world, I always make sure to mention a couple of things. We as humans are always so quick to judge one another but we never top to think about how easy it is to do the complete opposite. Instead of resorting straight to hate and violence, we as humans and the future of our world need to stop and choose love. Love will always trump hate and hope will always outweigh injustice. When speaking about this, it is so important for people to hear that you have a voice, and when you decide to use it instead of resorting to violence, change can be made even if it is small.

Tell us about your volleyball career? When did you get started and where aer you at with it now?
I was introduced to volleyball in the 5th grade and started playing once I reached middle school. I fell in love with the sport and continued playing through middle school and eventually got involved in a travel team. I was never the best player on the team but that didn’t matter to me because I just loved having the opportunity to get to play on a court with some of my best friends. However once tried out for the high school team and watched all my friends make jv when I was stuck on the freshman team, I wanted to work harder. That is exactly what I did and it lead me to make varsity the following year where I was a defensive specialist and a right side hitter. The sport was definitely mentally and physically draining but for me it was still about the love I shared within my team and every chance that I got to step onto the court. Even though I am done with my volleyball career it will forever be something I cherish for the rest of my life.

What is your favorite accomplishment with swimming?
My favorite accomplishment with swimming would have to be simply sticking with the sport even when it got hard. I joined freshman year to get the opportunity to be on the same team as my brother and after he left, I always wanted to quit but I never could. I ended up coming back for all 4 seasons and I have no regrets of doing so. I couldn’t imagine what my life would have been life if I quit and never stuck with it. I have won many races, tried many new events and have made so many new friends. Never giving up was hard but in the end it was worth it.

What is Teen Institute and why is it important to you?
Teen Institute is a program within our high schools in the area that promotes being substance free and living a healthy positive lifestyle. We do a lot of events within the community that promotes these messages such as our annual drug free rally and our county wide weekend retreat along with many others. Every event is focused on connecting and strengthening the bond between our youth and the communities we reside in. Teen Institute is so important to me because it demonstrates the power that we as young people hold. All it takes is one young voice to make a small difference but if we all come together, the possibilities are endless.

What are your roles and responsibilities on the Ohio Attorney General Teen Ambassador Board?
My role as a youth on the Ohio Attorney General Teen Ambassador Board, is to find the power the my voice holds and to be a leader representing my hometown of Marion Ohio. A lot of people look at Marion as a town full of trouble and kids who are automatically set up for failure. However this is not true at all because once you discover your voice and the power that it holds, you can create change one step at a time. I have made this discovery and by being apart of this program, I now know that I can change the narrative and become something that others have told me I could never be.

What has been a favorite memory with Marion Community Foundation Youth Philanthropy Program?
I think my favorite memory with the Marion Community Foundation Youth Philanthropy Program was having the opportunity to speak with Mary Ellen Withrow. I was so inspired by her story of being a woman during a time where people told her that her voice didn’t matter and how she never gave up. Becoming the first woman to be county, state and country treasure shows her hard work and dedication that she had during her years of growth.

What has the Paul Robeson Speech Academy taught you?
The Paul Robeson Speech Academy has taught me the importance of teaching our younger leaders, the importance and power of public speaking. I am honored to hold the position of a mentor to these younger kids because I get to aid them in the discovery of their own voices and peaceful power. Watching them progress from being shy and quite to these outgoing and well spoken prodigies, is something that I will forever cherish. It is so important for our future leaders to know that public speaking is a huge and helpful skill to have when entering young adulthood even into adulthood within their future jobs.

What inspiring things about you does your nomination not cover?
Over the course of my 18 years in this world I have managed to spread my message of love and kindness to hundreds of people around Ohio. With every speech competition that I compete in, It is never about winning for me; it is more about coming to understand who I am and what I stand for.

What do you feel passionate about or could talk about forever?
I have a strong passion about how love can conquer anything in our world. If we take the small amount of time out of our days that it takes to make someone smile or to be seen, so much can be changed. You never know what someone is going through and never know who needs the help. It takes absolutely nothing out of a person to be kind and that is something I will never stop telling people who need to hear it.

What else would you most like to talk about?
I have been involved in Alexis spence photography as a teen representative for about a year now. With every shoot, team bonding, and every way that we give back to our community, I have never felt more blessed to be a part of something so life changing. It is amazing how one group of girls can inspire each other and cheer each other on in everything that they do.

How did you find your photographer? What was your experience like? What did you love most?
it was more she found me type of situation. She posted an application to be a rep and my mom happened to come across it. Ever since joining the team I have made new friends. become more confident in myself and must importantly I have learned what it means and feels to make a difference in the world as young adult. The thing that I love the most about this experience is definitely the bond I have created with the other girls and my photographer.

Why do you want to be in Inspiring Teens Magazine?
I want to be in inspiring teen magazine because I want to prove to myself that I can be something and also show other girls entering young adulthood that they can make a difference too. All it takes is one voice, one action or idea to change the world. and this would just be the beginning.

What is a favorite memory you have with the person who nominated you?
My favorite memory of the person who nominated me is all of our shoots. It seems like something memorable always happens when we are together. Which I will cherish for a lifetime. Alexis is such an amazing photographer, a huge supporter and an inspiring mom. Even outside of our shoots she has always supported me by coming to my special events.

If you win a scholarship, what will you do with the money?
If I were to win the scholarship money, It would go to paying for college. I am planning on attending either The University of Tennessee or the Ohio State University to study psychology. I will be in school for a while so any and all awards given to me will help towards schooling.

What is your ideal dream job if it were offered to you today?
My dream job, if offered to me today, would have to be a social justice attorney. Speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves and making sure their opinions are heard is something that I will always find passion in doing.
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Is there anyone you'd like to thank for helping you to get where you are today?
I would like to thank my mom for being my biggest and number one supporter in everything that I do as well as my family who are always there for me. I would also like to thank my friends for always showing me that I am loved and that I have a support system ready to catch me if I ever shall fall.

Look for Ayla in issue 88 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!
*Interviews are not edited after received from our inspiring teens - what you read is who they genuinely are!

click here for more information on issue 88

click here to nominate an inspiring teen

Image by Amber Butterfield