Students become state leaders at Youth Legislative Assembly
By Dr. Travis Towne / Lenoir County Early College High School
Thirteen students from Lenoir County Early College High School took on the role of state leaders this past weekend when they joined approximately 200 other North Carolina students in the NC Youth Legislative Assembly (YLA) in Raleigh.
This three-day conference allowed high school students to be sworn in as state legislators and given an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the inner workings of state government. Students were split between the House and Senate and were given committee assignments to review bills that would be brought to both the House and Senate.
Once arriving at the legislative buildings on Friday, YLA members attended a General Assembly and were challenged to uphold both the U.S. and N.C. Constitutions as duly sworn legislators. House members were sworn in by State Auditor Beth Wood with a welcome address by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt. Senate members were sworn in by N.C. House Representative Donna White.
Once preliminary opening ceremonies were concluded, students went into committees to consider bills created by student-led co-chairs and make any additional proposals prior to debate the following day. Committees were advised by subject matter experts who, as volunteers, helped co-chairs and delegates discuss important aspects of a bill’s dynamics.
On Saturday, delegates spent the day in session considering various committee bills and debating the bills’ impact on North Carolina residents, businesses and current laws. Students were required to follow all procedural processes during both the House and Senate sessions, which was an eye-opening experience to many of the students.
Diana Aguilar-Sanchez remarked that “one thing that impacted me would be how to properly address the speaker,” and Josue Garcia-Lopez was surprised to notice that “during the General Assembly very early on, factions were created.” Layla Whitfield expressed “I didn’t really understand the legislative process before but now I have a better understanding for why decisions are made in the legislature.” Kelvin Greene, the Early College Career Development Coordinator, stated, “Seeing the legislative process firsthand gave me a better understanding of how bills are passed, and the amount of time and effort that goes into it.”
Many students also recognized the importance of networking with other people who might be able to help them pass their respective committee bills. Sydney Jeffreys expressed that “hearing opinions and stances that differ from mine was very beneficial because it caused me to evaluate my thoughts.”
There was also time built into the weekend for team-building activities on Friday night and a dance on Saturday. Malachi Washington felt that these activities “allowed everyone in YLA to get to know each other and build some friendships and relationships with new people.” Zacchaeus Jones reflected that one of “the best parts of the weekend was working with other students in my committee and venturing out to make connections.”
When asked what the best part of the experience was, many students talked about how their knowledge of the civic process was strengthened and how excited they were to realize how much of an impact their voice had on their peers. Kade Loftin stated that his “involvement in the civic process opened up my mind to see how individuals in the NC General Assembly can make certain decisions when put in the situation to debate and legislate bills.”
Montana Barrett discovered that one thing which impacted her the most was “the power I felt when I was speaking and having all eyes on me. It pushed me hard to fight for bills and I think I will be more confident in speaking and voicing my stances in a group setting.”
Jaqualynn Mendoza summed up her YLA experience by stating, “attending this program is possibly one of the most amazing experiences I have encountered. Being able to sit with people who were serious about what was happening and seeing how intelligent every student was in the room was so encouraging.” Marwan Albaadani revealed “the lessons I got from this opportunity will be imprinted in my future endeavors. Attending this event taught me lessons that I don’t think I could’ve learned without experiencing it.”
The following is a list of LCECHS students and their committee assignments: Montana Barrett and Maria Flowers, Health & Human Services (Senate); Layla Whitfield, Judiciary (Senate); Diana Aguilar-Sanchez, Military Affairs (Senate); Marwan Albaadani, Sydney Jeffreys, Harrison Rowland and Malachi Washington, Business (House; Meadow Jones (Co-Chair), Zacchaeus Jones, and Jaqualynn Mendoza, Education (House); Josue Garcia-Lopez, General Government (House); Kade Loftin, Information Technology (House).
The YLA experience was made possible through the support, financial and otherwise, of Lenoir Community College, Lenoir County legislators Sen. Jim Perry and Rep. Chris Humphrey, C12, Capps Trailers and Kinston Teens, as well as individuals who participated in the Pick a Date to Donate student fundraiser.
Dr. Travis Towne teaches social studies, civics and economics at Lenoir County Early College High School and led the school’s delegation at the N.C. Youth Legislative Assembly.
