MOUNT VERNON — In a January 2023 Solutions article, Knox Page asked, “Can a Mayor's Youth Council Increase Civic Engagement?”
Mount Vernon City Council members heard the answer: “Yes” Tuesday night.
The idea for a youth council took shape when Auralee Yoder heard Mayor Matt Starr discussing youth participation in local government.
Starr took part in the Knox Pages forum in April 2020 Coronavirus ConversationYoder, a Mount Vernon High School sophomore, watched the presentation.
They wrote ordinances, recruited students, developed an agenda and launched the Mayor's Youth Leadership Council in September 2022.
MYLC members shared what they learned at Tuesday's council meeting.
A New Career and Lessons Learned
Mateo Pecho Elkins' perception of government “became less of an incomprehensible monolithic black book” as the students learned how the different branches interact. He said the group showed him the possibility of making government a career.
“Until my junior year of college, I don't think I ever thought a career like this was possible, given how distant and isolated government can feel without this kind of avenue for participation and understanding,” he said.
“The Mayor's Youth Chamber gave me the opportunity to discover this interest and taught me how to pursue it. My experience here will provide a strong springboard for continuing to work in and learn about politics in the future.”
Pecho Elkins plans to attend Yale University to study ethics, politics, and economics.
Sabina Hawkes noted the group's flexibility: “It's one of the few groups where students can flourish in all areas of their lives while still giving their all to the important work they're doing here.”
But MLYC played a crucial role in Hawks' career choice.
“Through MYLC, I was able to explore different aspects of government,” she said, “which led me to major in history at Vassar College and set my path into government.”
When Olivia Stein joined MYLC as a junior last year, she had no idea what it was all about, emphasizing the leadership opportunities as an officer and service projects.
- Packing lunches for Winter Sanctuary.
- Tire recycling event.
- He will serve as timer for the Knox Pages candidate panel in the March primary election.
“What I've learned from this experience is to never take your community for granted. Every person in this group has different goals and will end up in different places, but you can be proud to have grown up here because you know what really goes on behind the scenes,” Stein, who will attend Cleveland State University, told the city council.
A Bright Future for the Youth Council
Brady Kaufman, who will be heading to Ohio State this fall after two years on the Youth Council, mentioned new and exciting events for the community, including the candidate election that took place on Woodward.
He also noted that the future is bright for the council due to successful recruiting efforts at the high school level.
“After just one day of advertising, the application form was filled with names from start to finish,” he said.
“This is great news for us, as we have helped lay the groundwork for the program, giving students a better understanding of the logistical challenges of local government.”
Two third-year students will return to Youth Council for their final year.
“The Mayor's Youth Council has taught me a lot of the issues in Mount Vernon and it's brought me closer to the community,” Taylor Couch said. “The mayor has taught us how to solve those issues, or at least start to solve those issues.”
These issues include plumbing, flooding and sidewalk problems.
“I learned the core people and processes that keep our community running, whether it's initiating new projects, building new roads, creating and approving budgets, or running discussions like we had a few months ago,” Brooklyn Grohe said.
“These experiences shaped what community means to me and brought me closer to the people who live there.”
Expressing gratitude
The youth leaders presented Starr with a plaque featuring a map of the city, signed by them.
They also presented council sponsors Mark and Elaine Hauberg with MYLC T-shirts.
“I have to say I'm very proud of the members of the Youth Council who have been here the last two years and the two new guys who will now be assuming leadership responsibilities,” Starr said.
“The students listened intently, and it was really gratifying to hear several of them say they wanted to study more about policy, economics, public service and government.”
