Greenville High School junior Laun Pryor has capably demonstrated leadership qualities both inside and outside of the classroom for years now, and organizations beyond Butler County have begun to take notice.

Pryor has been accepted into Huntingdon College’s Economic and Community Development Scholars Program, a program developed for rising high school seniors in conjunction with various chambers of commerce around the state.

Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Francine Wasden identified Pryor as one of Greenville’s outstanding rising seniors with not only the potential to lead, but also a genuine interest in improving his own community.

Pryor penned a one-page short essay detailing his plans for improving the lives of the Camellia City’s impoverished citizens.  That essay, coupled with Pryor’s resume earned him acceptance.

“I wrote about the difference we have from a cultural standpoint,” Pryor said.

“I wrote about trying to make more money accessible to those people who don’t have as much.”

The Huntingdon College experience provides networking with experienced professionals in the field of economic and community development, as well as hands-on learning through interactive seminars and on-site observation.

The program introduces rising seniors to the importance of economic and community development and the vital role citizens and professionals play in advancing their communities.

It will also provide an opportunity for soon-to-be seniors to tour a world-class manufacturing plant, a revitalized downtown area and the epicenter of Alabama state government, along with hearing from respected leaders in Alabama’s economic development community.

Pryor said that it’s the last item that interests him most.

“I’ve done a couple of events like this before, but in this one I should be able to meet new people, entrepreneurs, people who have started their own businesses and people with the mindset that they can do whatever they want when they get out of college and start their own business to help other people and further their communities,” Pryor said.

The Economic and Community Development Scholars Program will be held on the Huntingdon College campus and around the city of Montgomery on June 12-14.