Name: Casey Y.

School: Sacred Heart Preparatory School

Plans for next year: Sonoma State University, studying computer science

Programs completed at Enterprise: Pathways (2017), Youth Council (2017-18)

 

What has been your favorite part of Youth Council overall?

Youth Council is nice because it attracts people who are willing to talk and be social, from sophomores to seniors. You get to talk to many different people, and meet people who you don?t go to school with, which is usually hard. It?s always great to meet new people. And the service learning project was really the thing that attracted me. I?ve never done a lot of research or talked to so many people who are affected or have opinions on the topic of gun control. It was cool to see a new side of an issue that you hear so much about, and is so saturated in the media. To talk to people, and not just read, that was cool.

 

What skills do you feel you?ve learned on Youth Council, and how will you bring these skills with you in your future?

I?m already pretty good at working with groups. I?m used to working with other youth from school, on school projects. But this was to a different degree, where we weren?t just doing it for a grade, or to get it done. It was a process where we worked with a lot of people, got to know each other, and together made something we were proud of. That?s something I?ve never quite done before. It was cool to see everybody who I?d come to know be willing to come in and fill in the gaps together, even if it wasn?t their job.

 

What advice would you give to future Youth Councillors?

Pick your project early on! We had two months, and it was hard because you can?t meet over the phone — you have to do it while you?re all in the same room, at Youth Council. And, compromise is so important.

 

What do you feel was your role during the process of the final project?

I was working with the research committee to find news clips and put them in the video. A lot of my role was helping the leader of our group, Sam, with the outline and the delegation of tasks and making sure everyone knew what their jobs were. I also worked to collaborate with other committees.

 

In your opinion, what makes a great leader?

I always think of the difference between a leader and a boss. A boss tells what you have to do, and tells you if you do something wrong, and that you need to fix it. Whereas a leader asks you to do things, and if you do something wrong, they help you fix it. They ask if they can help. They keep you accountable for what you?re doing, but they?re don?t just tell you what to do. They build a certain respect from the people under them. It?s not just about the object, it?s about the intention. A leader asks, ?How can I help? How can other people help? How can we do this together??