Youth Leadership Bedford, like its parent group, Leadership Bedford, seeks to develop and enhance leadership skills, specifically those of high school juniors.

"This youth group was outstanding," said Tonya Davis, a member of the Leadership Bedford board of directors. "The had strong communication, interacted well, and had great decision making. They are strong potential leaders."

Formerly called Bedford Beginnings, the objectives of Youth Leadership Bedford include developing and enhancing leadership skills of exemplary high school juniors; recognizing and preparing potential leaders for business, government and the community; and encouraging participation in community events and volunteer activities.

The students who participated are Jared Bennett, David Cantrell, Julie Chick, Laura Clinton, J.T. Dawson, Keri Beth Garrette, Whitney Gordon, Emily LaCoss, Marcus McBee and Aimee Simms.

Marcus, the son of Becky and Allen McBee of Wartrace, was one of the students participating this year. A rising senior at Cascade, he applied last school year and had to go through an interview process.

"Only 10 of us made it," he said.

Marcus said he knew he would learn about Bedford County during the classes, but not how much.

"I didn't expect to learn about the state," he said. "I didn't know all the manufacturing that was here, and that we are the third biggest agriculture county in the state of Tennessee."

A Boys State delegate, Marcus said the experience he gained through Youth Leadership Bedford will be a big help this week, especially the time he and his class spent going to government meetings.

For their class project, this year's class donated time to residents of area nursing homes.

Marcus got to work with Leadership Bedford, the parent organization, when he participated in the trial run of the job shadowing program. He wants to be an engineer and was assigned to job shadow logistics engineer Wendell Smith at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center.

He found the program very beneficial.

"I realized I need to break down what engineers do," Marcus said. "The engineer title is a broad title and I need to start slimming it down."

Marcus and his fellow class members will also help out the parent program by talking to next year's juniors and helping them prepare for the Youth Leadership Bedford class of 2008-09.