Samuel Kundi.

ATLANTA — Colquitt County High school senior Samuel Kundi took part in the week-long residential summer leadership program at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School in Atlanta in June.

Each year, participating students explore different aspects of the business world through hands-on workshops with passionate professionals, networking opportunities, and corporate tours, according to a press release from the high school. Business professionals from The Coca-Cola Company, Mercedes-Benz USA, Goizueta Business School’s Start:Me Social Enterprise, MarketSource, Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40 honorees, and many more helped the students develop personal and professional leadership skills and explore career potentials throughout the week.

Seventy-six students from 59 different high schools across the state of Georgia attended. Summer Youth Leadership Institute students attended dinners, learned about networking, interviewing, personal branding, and prepared presentations for judging.

Application for the program opens in January. Students must be a rising sophomore, junior, or senior in the state of Georgia.

“I experienced firsthand what it is like to be in a professional etiquette dinner and at the same time what it is like to interact with the professional individuals in a professional manner,” Kundi said.

“Our students leave 21CL embodying our five core leadership values: passionate, resourceful, service-oriented, able to leverage diversity, and forward thinking,” a Goizueta Business School spokesman said. “Our year-round youth leadership development programming provides critical tools young Georgians will need to be prepared to assume leadership positions.”