Editor’s Note: My Buckhannon freelance writer Lily Hicks writes each month about her experience participating in the 2025-2026 class of Leadership Upshur, a professional development program designed for individuals who live or work in and around Upshur County.
Our Leadership Upshur class recently completed our final session together, with a focus on service, teamwork and putting leadership into action.
As part of our class service project, participants spent time supporting Appalachian Impact Adventure Center by helping prepare its new facility. Class members painted walls and ceilings inside the organization’s future home, located in the former H&R Block building near Dairy Queen. The hands-on work helped move the space closer to opening and reflected the group’s shared commitment to giving back to the Upshur County community.
Serving alongside one another has been a meaningful part of the Leadership Upshur experience, and this project allowed the class to make a visible, lasting contribution while supporting a local organization working to create positive opportunities for others.
The final session also included a group retreat centered on communication, collaboration and problem-solving. One highlight of the day was a virtual reality escape room experience with Infinite Escape, where teams were challenged to work together under pressure, think creatively and rely on trust to succeed.
The activity offered an engaging way to apply leadership lessons learned throughout the program and reinforced the importance of teamwork in achieving shared goals.
As the Leadership Upshur program comes to a close, these final experiences served as a strong reminder that leadership extends beyond discussion and into action.
Our class will officially graduate at the Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce Awards Dinner in March, and we look forward to staying engaged and invested in the community.
