Young people are the future of our community, and should be provided with every opportunity to learn and prepare themselves for whatever path they choose in life.

That’s what makes programs like the one run by the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce important.

For almost 30 years, the chamber has organized Youth Leadership Weirton, a seven-month program providing guidance and mentoring through sessions focused on life skills including teamwork, goal setting and ethics.

Bringing together 30 sophomores from Weir, Madonna, Brooke and Oak Glen high schools, the series provides a chance for students to meet peers from other schools and backgrounds, recognize aspects of themselves and others and how their personalities can influence their choices in life and how they are perceived, how to accomplish tasks with others and more about the various aspects of a society itself.

Members of the Class of 2025 include Landon Burdine, Pete Fodor, Ivy Myers, Andrew Petrella, Onica Rushing and Sophia Wilkerson from Brooke High; Brooklynn Cherepko, Danyka DeCaria, Lucia DiBacco, Jake Goddard, Marleigh O’Brien, Madison Owens, Lacy Quering and Sophia Soly from Madonna; Halle Baumgarner, Derrick Bowersox, Roxye Brown, Trystan Easton, Jessa Fields, Leah McMahan, Kylie Robinson, Keira Vick, Alexandria Watkins and Addyson Wells from Oak Glen; and Aubrie Cain, Kaydence Cain, Landon Haught, Alana Hukill and Guy Meneely from Weir.

They gathered for one final time as a class Sunday afternoon to celebrate their time together and what they accomplished as a class, but we hope the relationships, lessons and experiences will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

We offer our congratulations to members of this year’s class and wish them well as they move forward through their lives.