| Amy Wilkerson Memorial |
  To be a delegate to the Youth Leadership Forum, students must be selected. They must possess certain qualities that are reflective of a leader. Amy Wilkerson, 2001 YLF Graduate, was the perfect delegate. She possessed all of the required qualities and more. Though Amy battled cancer for about four years, she was always a fighter. Amy lost her fight with cancer on Sept. 30, 2001, just three months after attending the Kansas YLF. "[Amy] was a good listener and very intelligent. She had the ability to speak on both adult and student levels. Amy would have been a great leader," Valerie Snodgrass, 2001 YLF Counselor, said. Amy graduated from Dodge City High School in 2001, where she was the News Editor of her school newspaper. She was also involved in Peer Helpers and 4-H. Amy loved volunteering with her family at various community activities. She dreamed of becoming a vet some day. In July of 1997, Amy developed a type of cancer called Ewing Sarcoma in her right ankle. She went through nine months of treatment, including surgery, after which her cancer came back. She received an unrelated bone marrow donor in Sept. of 2001, which her body eventually rejected in late September. Throughout all of this time, Amy never gave up. "She was a fighter. She always had a positive outlook on things," Sara Wilkerson, Amy's mother, said. It was that positive attitude that helped Amy to be chosen as a delegate to the YLF. According to Sara, being chosen was a great opportunity for Amy. "She loved the YLF. [The people involved] touched her in a very special way," Sara said. Most that interacted with Amy during the YLF felt that she was a very intelligent, mature person. "She struck me as being wise beyond her years. When she spoke, people listened," Brenda Eddy, KSYLF Project Director, said. Cecil Walker, 2001 YLF Counselor, remembers Amy's friendly personality. "Each morning, she always had a smile and a 'Good Morning' for everyone that was there," Walker said. Many were touched by Amy's spirit. As a means to keep her spirit alive, the YLF Steering Committee decided to dedicate the promotion video in her name. Remembering Amy "Amy was a fighter. She always had a positive outlook on things. She was a giver. Amy loved animals. She wanted to be a vet. She was a competitor; she always wanted to be number one. Amy loved [the YLF]. It was like a dream come true. She talked about the people all the time. You guys touched her in a very special way. [When she came back], she thought she could take on the world." -Sara Wilkerson, Amy's mother "Amy had a very soft, gentle, but wise nature about her. When she spoke, people listened. She struck me as being wise beyond her years." -Brenda Eddy, KS YLF State Coordinator "Out of all the students that I had the pleasure of working with, I bonded with Amy Wilkerson the most. Yes, she was a little on the gruff side and had a tendency to speak her mind. I like that about her. You know where you stood with her. To this day I have a picture of Amy on my jewelry box. It was a picture I took and blinded her with my flash, so it wasn't a very becoming picture. Every time I look at it, it gives me a little chuckle. Amy filled my heart with laughter and that picture reminds me of the laughter we shared with each other at the YLF. One of my fondest memories is when the YLF staff were having one of their meetings and several students had to come into the meeting just to get a pop. Amy was no different. Ever since Amy came to the YLF she was in a wheelchair, she never walked. So when she got up out of her wheelchair to get a pop, some of us were amazed. We thought we just spotted a miracle. We said Amy is walking. Amy gave us one of her disgusted looks and said "I can walk". We were also amazed that she was six foot tall. Amy could be very quiet if she didn't know you; she was a good listener and very intelligent. She wasn't afraid to share ideas or resources that might help others. She had the ability to speak on both adult and student levels. Amy would've been a great leader. The last time I saw Amy was in Garden City. She attended the Garden City's local Transition Council Meetings. At that time she was walking with a cane and looked great. She was getting ready and looking forward to going to college. I am so thankful that I had the privilege of attending the YLF and meeting Amy Wilkerson. She is now in our heavenly fathers hands. I will miss her, but someday I will see her again." -Valerie Snodgrass, 2001 YLF Counselor "Each and every morning [Amy] always had a smile and a "Good Morning" for each and everyone that was there. [She was] a very caring and loving person. [She had] a willingness to help others." -Cecil Walker, 2001 & 2002 YLF Counselor |