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ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 26, 2024—Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles has launched her fourth cohort of her S.M.A.R.T. Youth Advisory Council, which focuses on engaging youth in County government processes. The Youth Advisory Council (SYAC) aims to increase youth participation in local government and allow students to advocate for creative solutions. This cohort comprises 20 students in grades 7 through 12 and includes representation from all seven Council Districts.
On September 23, Councilmember Sayles held an inaugural meeting for the S.M.A.R.T. Youth Advisory Council to kick off an exciting season of dialogue and collaboration to address the unique challenges and opportunities before Montgomery County. Over the coming weeks, students will meet seven times and have the chance to delve deeper into the S.M.A.R.T. agenda, closing out with a Shark Tank-style policy pitch before an esteemed panel of judges.
“I’m ecstatic to welcome a new group of students to the S.M.A.R.T. Youth Advisory Council! We are celebrating some important milestones in our second year and fourth cohort. We have two seventh graders, parents who have never visited their local government office, and younger siblings following in their older siblings’ footsteps by exploring a pathway to public service after being selected from a competitive pool of over 80 applicants,” said Councilmember Sayles. “I’m encouraged and hopeful about our future if this cohort is even a slight glimpse into the future leaders of this community and our world. Their thoughtful responses and willingness to engage with their peers, whom they just met, to discuss local politics, budgets, racial equity, and social justice warm my heart!”
The 20 Student Youth Advisory Council (SYAC) members emerged after a competitive application review process. They will learn more about local county government through discussions about our $7B+ budget, legislation, community programs, health and safety initiatives, guest Speakers, and Councilmember Sayles’ SMART policy agenda. Through random assignment, they will be divided into groups of four students and brainstorm policy solutions for current issues of their choosing before pitching their solutions to an esteemed panel of judges in a shark-tank-style environment.
“I’m most looking forward to learning more about local government processes in Montgomery County and expanding my advocacy skills,” said Liza, a 10th grader from Walter Johnson High School.
Councilmember Sayles is honored to work with such talented young individuals and is excited to see what the future holds for this inaugural cohort of youth leaders.
The Youth Advisory Council members include:
- Fatin Anjun | 11th grader | Watkins Mill High School
- Liam Darnell | 12th grader | Walt Whitman High School
- Maahira Rubaiya | 12th grader | Northwest High School
- Josie Kim | 11th grader | Richard Montgomery High School
- Tariq Bin Ashraf | 10th grader | Wootton High School
- Alex Cox | 11th grader | Holton-Arms School
- Akshay Mirmira | 10th grader | Sidwell Friends School
- Oorja Munot | 11th grader | Richard Montgomery High School
- Maxwell Dennis | 11th grader | Bethesda Chevy Chase High School
- Jacob Footer | 11th grader | Wootton High School
- Aashvi Gangakhedkar | 10th grader | Wootton High School
- Liza Bogdanovskaya | 10th grader | Walter Johnson High School
- Walter Sha | 11th grader | Richard Montgomery High School
- Eunice Soriano | 10th grader | Wheaton High School
- Amber Jiao | 11th grader | Poolesville High School
- Dakota Hudson-Neal | 10th grader | Bishop McNamara High School
- Saad Baig | 8th grader | Homeschool
- Henna Jain | 11th grader | Winston Churchill High School
- Nirvaan Bhullar | 7th grader | Kingsview Middle School
- Riya Gupta | 10th grader | Wootton High School
Stay tuned to learn more about the fantastic ideas our County’s students come up with to solve the challenges we face today and in the future!
For more information on Councilmember Sayles’s S.M.A.R.T. Youth Advisory Council, please visit https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Sayles/YouthAdvisory/index.html
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