A Franklin Township teenager had the experience of a lifetime when she took part in a unique week- long leadership development conference in Washington D.C.

Haley Sawyer, 17, daughter of Edward and Lisa Sawyer of Fairyland Road, was selected to attend the National Young Leaders Conference (NYLC), which was held recently in our nation's capitol.The purpose of the conference is to give outstanding high school students from across the United States the opportunity to interact and discuss a variety of topics facing our country.Sawyer is a junior at Lehighton Area High School."Part of the program focused on the issues of homelessness and poverty," said Sawyer. "We also discussed the ethical issue of physician assistance to the dying," said Sawyer.Sawyer said she plans a career in commercial broadcasting or public relations, so she was very interested in the round table discussions with the press panel."There were 250 of us who came from all across the United States and Puerto Rico and there was a participant from Indonesia," she said.NYLC prepares students to serve their country. Through a series of simulations, the students were placed in the driver's seat on a variety of issues facing the country today.She also took part in special meetings, briefings, and a number of skill-building activities and simulations.She also participated in "Testing the Constitution," in which the students examined actual Supreme Court cases.The conference ended with a "model congress" in which some of the students assumed roles of the U.S. Representatives and debated, amended and voted on proposed mock legislation.As part of the conference, Sawyer had the opportunity to meet Congressman Lou Barletta.