Member Personal Reflection
Serving on the Colorado Youth Advisory Council has truly been one of the best experiences of my life. As a member of the council, I was presented many unique opportunities, and I learned invaluable lessons.
Every teenager in the state of Colorado can send an email to their House Representative or call their Senator, but members of the Colorado Youth Advisory Council have the chance to have face-to-face discussions with legislators, and interact with them on another level. Through the council, I built a personal relationship with Representative Ken Summers, who represents my State House District. I spent a day shadowing him at the capital, and we have had meetings at local coffee shops. Representative Summers has asked me about ideas for bills, and I have done research for him, and we have had great discussions about policy. Last summer, Representative Summers recommended me for an internship at the Jefferson County Victory Offices, and I had the opportunity to see the election side of politics. These amazing experiences have given me a true taste of State politics, and I’m inspired to continue to explore politics in the future.
Because there are students from every senate district in Colorado serving on the Colorado Youth Advisory Council, I made connections that I would never have the opportunity to otherwise. I met students from Poncha Springs, Pueblo, Yuma, and Glenwood Springs (to name a few) and learned about how our experiences as high school students compare. It was eye opening to realize how different life is for students who live fifteen miles away, let alone those students who live hundreds of miles away. In this manner, I gained a new outlook both on my life and on the lives of others. I have realized that Colorado is amazingly diverse, and I am interested in exploring my own state further.
Not only did the Colorado Youth Advisory Council teach me about how a bill is passed, and how to speak with legislators, but I have learned a great deal about being a leader. Serving as a representative for my senate district challenged me to reach out to students who I normally didn’t interact with. I could not represent the youth of Senate District 21 just because I was a sixteen-year-old Lakewood resident—to truly be a representative, I had to have discussions with other students whose views were different than my own. It was an eye-opener for me to speak with these students, and I learned so much from them. I also learned about how to lead in a group of leaders—on a council of forty leaders, there are many times when it makes more sense to just sit back and listen than to try to take charge. But there are also times when it is important to speak up and share an opinion or a new idea.
Being a part of the Colorado Youth Advisory Council has been one of the best experiences of my life. I have made numerous connections, and learned invaluable lessons. As a member, I hope that I can give back to the council and the state of Colorado all that they have given me.
--Amanda Patarino, Senate District 21
