I learned about YAC from my teacher. She told me about her child's experience, and it sounded like something I would be interested in. I have always been interested in helping people, but I haven’t felt like I’ve had the voice to speak out about issues in the community. It is appealing to be a part of an organization that's set up to address current issues. Some qualities I would bring to the council are that I am compassionate and thoughtful, I notice things, and I’m interested in knowing about other people. I have experience volunteering at summer camp and at my elementary school. I see kids who are left out or struggling, and I want to make them feel seen and heard.

Community service to me means, showing up for others, helping to improve community spaces or relationships while also gaining meaningful connections. Community service is action oriented, turning feelings of compassion into something real and helpful. I have been participating in community service since being a Girl Scout in elementary school. I have helped clean up the Kalamazoo River, and clean up Ketchum Park. When helping at church for a Senior Meal Night, I felt like I was connecting with the attendees, and the other helpers. It made me feel like I was doing something meaningful, and that I would make a difference in people’s lives.

To address the concern of mental health issues in teens, the first step I would recommend to take would be to recognize what is causing the mental health issues. If possible, I would set up a way to ask teens what is causing them the most stress or issues in their life. That way, we could see what is affecting most teens. The second step I would recommend taking would be to make mental health a topic that is more talked about, so that teens can feel less afraid and alone. By doing this, more teens will feel like they can ask for help if they are struggling, and feel less afraid/embarrassed to ask for help. Being able to talk about the things they are struggling with would help some people work through things they are dealing with, even if it is just a close friend or a counselor they talk to. I would recommend reaching out to school counselors, and ask them some steps to take if someone is feeling overwhelmed or stressed. Issues are always more easily addressed when they are more spoken about, so if mental health issues are more destigmatized, then more people will be able to say how they feel.

If I am accepted into YAC, I will prioritize my commitment by knowing YAC's meeting dates and times and making sure I am available, even if it means missing or rescheduling the other thing I was going to do. None of my extracurricular activities would interfere with my YAC participation.

I have not applied for a YAC membership before.