LeeAnn Bachman, 16, of Kunkletown received a certificate of achievement on Wednesday at the Commonwealth Connections Academy building in Andreas for winning the Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living's I'm a Leader contest.

Bachman, who is enrolled in cyber school through Commonwealth Connections Academy, earned first place in the contest for students from across Pennsylvania.Students in seventh to 12th grade were asked to create something that showed what leadership means to them.They were allowed to choose any medium they wanted to convey their message."I got a Scrabble board and spelled out leadership on it, then I used those letters to attach other words I associate with leadership. I took a picture of it when I was done and sent it," Bachman said.Everett Deibler, the center's leadership coordinator, presented the certificate and gift card to Bachman after speaking about the second annual contest."We received over 50 entries from students in all corners of Pennsylvania. Of those entries, we felt that LeeAnn's was the one that expressed leadership the best," Deibler said.He later spoke about what the I'm a Leader Contest means for those in LVCIL as well as the students."We run this contest to show that leadership should be key to what happens in the classroom, and to show that people with disabilities can be leaders. I think it gives students the chance to demonstrate their skills and gifts. It shows that youth can have a powerful voice," Deibler said.