What did you do as a YE4C Editorial Board member?

I like being able to voice my opinion and call attention to problems I see within my community and the world. Working on the Editorial Board allowed me to do that by content planning for young people. When I officially joined in February, I mainly read over different content proposals and brainstormed ideas for areas that needed more attention. In general, I worked on behind the scenes initiatives that make a difference in young people’s lives. YE4C provides so many non-traditional path options and resources, unlike other sites. Those opportunities and resources are needed and I was able to contribute to the development of that.  

What work have you been involved in before your time with YE4C?

I mostly learn about opportunities through my school or their newsletters. Sometimes, I have teachers or mentors recommend and inform me about other opportunities as well. That’s how I learned about being a Student Representative for my state’s Board of Education. My focus is on postsecondary education. I urge schools to give students financial and literacy classes. It’s not that kids don’t want to learn but that they want to also learn more applicable and functional skills. For many people, they don’t learn these things in high school. I also provide input for testing policies in different subcommittees.  

Through the state Board of Education, I can speak at different launch events to talk about mental and social health experiences. I also urge other young people to take these matters seriously. My job allows me to advocate for counselors and more mental health support staff in high school. A lot of this work ended up putting me on a youth outreach team. We pulled together an event for students across the city to share their experiences and provide ideas for new initiatives.