It took team work and dedication for Joseph Ellis’s team to complete the Yellow Brink Road obstacle course in 25 minutes and 17 seconds. Throughout history, great leaders have changed the world and affected life as we know it. Eight years ago, the FBI National Academy Associates, Incorporated (FBINAA) created a Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) to help develop tomorrow’s leaders today. The organization is comprised of law enforcement professionals who are graduates of the FBI National Academy and recognize the importance of strong leaders: past, present, and future.

YLA is a highly selective program. Each year 50 rising high school sophomores and juniors from the US and abroad are given the opportunity to participate in a week–long leadership development program at the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA. Joseph Ellis, a rising sophomore at Dreher High School, recently represented the SC chapter of FBINAA in the program. Ellis was chosen from a group of 11 applicants in the state who demonstrated above average academic standards, good citizenship, and a desire to explore opportunities for personal growth.

Marine Helicopter Squadron One delivers President George W. Bush to speak with the students at Quantico. Each applicant submitted a biography and an essay, which explained his or her personal views on the importance of leadership. Ellis’s winning essay said, “Leadership is personality, character, and individuality in the face of tension or peril. It is the defining disposition that draws others to you as a leader, and as someone others aspire to be. George Washington, Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and Rudolph Giuliani all had different aspirations. The single thread that connects them is their ability to lead.”

Joseph Ellis During his stay, Ellis learned about many different styles of leadership from a highly qualified staff, which included college professors, FBI staff members, and military leaders. The days were long but packed with activities and invaluable learning opportunities.

Days began at 5:30 am, ran past the scheduled activities, and ended only when the participants were too exhausted to keep up the late–night conversations with fellow participants.

Ellis said some of the best learning experiences came from simply working alongside and talking to fellow participants. He knows the friendships forged during the week will last far past the closing ceremony.

Participants also got to run The Yellow Brick Road, one of the most famous obstacle courses in the country. Ellis and five comrades paired up to run the course together and ended up completing the grueling task in 25 minutes and 17 seconds. This was quite an accomplishment for the young group considering the fact that marines and FBI require their personnel to finish the course in 30 minutes.

The course includes four ropes courses and a treacherous bear walk. Ellis says teamwork was critical to the group’s performance and noted that they completed the course helping and encouraging each other the whole way.

Completing the course in under 30 minutes secured a commemorative yellow brick for each of the six YLA participants. In addition to learning invaluable lessons about leadership, participants got to meet the director of the FBI and George W. Bush, President of the US.

Meeting the President was impromptu, but Ellis said it was the highlight of the week for him to shake hands and talk to the most powerful man in the world. In a farewell speech, participants were told, “You are the future of America.” Ellis took the statement as a personal challenge to take the lessons he learned and put them into action.

He says, “This was a once in a lifetime life altering experience. I am grateful to have been chosen and to have represented the SC chapter of FBINAA.” Joseph is the son of Ernest and Sandie Ellis of Columbia. Ernest is the director of law enforcement at USC, and Sandie is vice principal at Leslie L. Stover Middle School.

Photos by Joseph Ellis