STUDENT MUNICIPAL REPRESENTATIVE PROGRAM
TESTIMONIALS FROM PAST GREEN HIGH SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS
Elliana Edwards (Class of 2024)
I would recommend joining the City of Green’s Student Municipal Program for many reasons. First, this opportunity has taught me a lot about how our government works, and I am now able to understand first hand what actually goes on. Second, I participated in the Drug Task Force, which focused not only on trying to decrease drug use in our community but also helping with mental health. As a member of this division, I am able to bring in my own insight and experiences to collaborate on ways to help the community and, more specifically, people my own age. Participating in this program has given me both knowledge and skills that I will continue to use for the rest of my life. Lastly, depending on which division you join, most only meet once a month. Therefore, the time commitment is minimal and doesn't interfere too much with other activities. This program is very rewarding and does a lot of good, not only for the community, but for its student participants as well.
I would recommend joining the City of Green’s Student Municipal Program for many reasons. First, this opportunity has taught me a lot about how our government works, and I am now able to understand first hand what actually goes on. Second, I participated in the Drug Task Force, which focused not only on trying to decrease drug use in our community but also helping with mental health. As a member of this division, I am able to bring in my own insight and experiences to collaborate on ways to help the community and, more specifically, people my own age. Participating in this program has given me both knowledge and skills that I will continue to use for the rest of my life. Lastly, depending on which division you join, most only meet once a month. Therefore, the time commitment is minimal and doesn't interfere too much with other activities. This program is very rewarding and does a lot of good, not only for the community, but for its student participants as well.
Ayesha Qureshi (Class of 2021)
I first decided to join the Student Municipal Program when I was a freshman entering into my sophomore year of high school. During my Sophomore year, I was placed on the Historic Preservation Committee for the city and in my Junior year I was on the Living Green Task Force. In my first year, I didn't know what I was getting into considering I had limited knowledge about the historical aspects of Green. However, through the committee I learned that Green has a very unique history that many of its own citizens are not aware of. Although learning about the culture of Green was interesting, one important element I learned through this committee was that even though the committee focused on the historical factors of Green it also worked with other committees, commissions, and boards. For example, in order for a procedure to be approved it has to go through a process that requires the participation of several boards and committees. First, an application must be submitted with the Director of Planning, this application is then given to a planning staff who will review the application, once it is reviewed by the staff for completion, a public announcement is then sent out to the people for a public hearing, the Historic Preservation Commission will determine the appropriateness of the public hearing, and then is given to the Board of Zoning Appeals for approval or rejection.
The process I observed in the Historic Preservation Committee is similar throughout all the committees. One committee cannot work by itself. They rely on one another to gain more knowledge about different areas of expertise, as well as work together to find a solution that will be the most beneficial for the citizens. In my opinion, the best part of this entire experience is that now, as I currently take AP Government, I now understand more clearly why this process is necessary and how it is beneficial for governments to do in order to be efficient in their decisions. In government, we mainly focus our learning on the federal and state governments, however it is extremely interesting to see the actions of the state and federal governments reflected in our local government.
Therefore, as a current Student Municipal Representative, I strongly encourage anyone to apply for this program! It allows you to gain first hand experience of the governmental process on a local level.
I first decided to join the Student Municipal Program when I was a freshman entering into my sophomore year of high school. During my Sophomore year, I was placed on the Historic Preservation Committee for the city and in my Junior year I was on the Living Green Task Force. In my first year, I didn't know what I was getting into considering I had limited knowledge about the historical aspects of Green. However, through the committee I learned that Green has a very unique history that many of its own citizens are not aware of. Although learning about the culture of Green was interesting, one important element I learned through this committee was that even though the committee focused on the historical factors of Green it also worked with other committees, commissions, and boards. For example, in order for a procedure to be approved it has to go through a process that requires the participation of several boards and committees. First, an application must be submitted with the Director of Planning, this application is then given to a planning staff who will review the application, once it is reviewed by the staff for completion, a public announcement is then sent out to the people for a public hearing, the Historic Preservation Commission will determine the appropriateness of the public hearing, and then is given to the Board of Zoning Appeals for approval or rejection.
The process I observed in the Historic Preservation Committee is similar throughout all the committees. One committee cannot work by itself. They rely on one another to gain more knowledge about different areas of expertise, as well as work together to find a solution that will be the most beneficial for the citizens. In my opinion, the best part of this entire experience is that now, as I currently take AP Government, I now understand more clearly why this process is necessary and how it is beneficial for governments to do in order to be efficient in their decisions. In government, we mainly focus our learning on the federal and state governments, however it is extremely interesting to see the actions of the state and federal governments reflected in our local government.
Therefore, as a current Student Municipal Representative, I strongly encourage anyone to apply for this program! It allows you to gain first hand experience of the governmental process on a local level.
Shareef Awadallah (Class of 2021)
I applied to be in the Green Student Municipal Representative program the spring of my freshman year to become closer with the local government. I have always been fascinated by the intricacies of government, and local government is the best place to start. I got accepted and put on the City of Green Drug Task Force. I enjoyed the task force because student volunteers were a large part of the discussion. It was nice to see my suggestions placed in action. When I applied the next year I hoped I would be put back on the Drug Task Force because I enjoyed it so much. I was put on it again and the team worked with students and the schools in many ways. That was enjoyable for me because I saw my commentary come into fruition. For example, we had the idea to do a booth at the Celebration of Education to target parents who may be unaware of the vaping epidemic that has ravaged schools nationwide. The booth was such a success that we are going to do it this year as well. I've been able to make connections with people such as the mayor, judges, and city officials which has been really neat. Those connections can go far. This year I was invited to the State of the City address by the mayor and helped campaign for Judge Lanzinger during election season. This experience has been very beneficial to me and I'd recommend that anyone with an interest in city government would take a few moments to apply.
I applied to be in the Green Student Municipal Representative program the spring of my freshman year to become closer with the local government. I have always been fascinated by the intricacies of government, and local government is the best place to start. I got accepted and put on the City of Green Drug Task Force. I enjoyed the task force because student volunteers were a large part of the discussion. It was nice to see my suggestions placed in action. When I applied the next year I hoped I would be put back on the Drug Task Force because I enjoyed it so much. I was put on it again and the team worked with students and the schools in many ways. That was enjoyable for me because I saw my commentary come into fruition. For example, we had the idea to do a booth at the Celebration of Education to target parents who may be unaware of the vaping epidemic that has ravaged schools nationwide. The booth was such a success that we are going to do it this year as well. I've been able to make connections with people such as the mayor, judges, and city officials which has been really neat. Those connections can go far. This year I was invited to the State of the City address by the mayor and helped campaign for Judge Lanzinger during election season. This experience has been very beneficial to me and I'd recommend that anyone with an interest in city government would take a few moments to apply.
Parker Doerrer (Class of 2021)
I would definitely recommend the student municipal program because it allows the participant to be involved in an interesting (depending on committee) and informative experience. I was on the Charter Review Commission last year and it was a little more difficult than some of the other ones. It may not have involved interesting information, but it provided me with a very unique experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. It also gave me a new perspective on how city government works and how complicated it is. Lastly, I created many great connections with very influential people within the community that could be very important in the future. This year I am on the Parks and Rec commission and I have enjoyed my time here as well. I was able to volunteer at the Trick or Treat trail and have had a lot of fun learning about all the parks that the city offers. Additionally, this board only meets once a month, so it is also much easier to attend all the meetings. I would recommend the experience and hope that people thinking about joining don't get discouraged by the selection process. The interview is great practice for the future and not stressful. The staff is very kind and want you to feel comfortable during your experience.
I would definitely recommend the student municipal program because it allows the participant to be involved in an interesting (depending on committee) and informative experience. I was on the Charter Review Commission last year and it was a little more difficult than some of the other ones. It may not have involved interesting information, but it provided me with a very unique experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. It also gave me a new perspective on how city government works and how complicated it is. Lastly, I created many great connections with very influential people within the community that could be very important in the future. This year I am on the Parks and Rec commission and I have enjoyed my time here as well. I was able to volunteer at the Trick or Treat trail and have had a lot of fun learning about all the parks that the city offers. Additionally, this board only meets once a month, so it is also much easier to attend all the meetings. I would recommend the experience and hope that people thinking about joining don't get discouraged by the selection process. The interview is great practice for the future and not stressful. The staff is very kind and want you to feel comfortable during your experience.
Sophia Miller (Class of 2021)
I first applied for the Student Municipal Representative Program during the spring of my freshman year. In order to be considered for the program, you have to turn in an application and go through the interview process with the mayor and a couple other city government employees. I found this part of the process to be extremely valuable, as it provided me with experiences that will help me when I apply to careers in the future. After my interview, I was appointed to the Sister City Committee. Because the committee was fairly new, I got a look into the formation process of it all. Our meetings frequently involved how to get our community and the community of Beius (Romania) more connected, whether it be through school-wide or city-wide projects.
During my second (and current) year, I was placed on the Living Green Task Force. It is a pretty informal committee in comparison to some of the others. It meets once a month for about an hour, and is dedicated towards improving the City of Green environmentally. I really enjoy sitting on this committee due to my passion of helping the environment and my concerns surrounding climate issues. We often think that all of the heavy-lifting occurs at the federal level of government, but this program made me realize how much cities are doing at the local level.
I would highly recommend the Student Municipal Representative Program to any student interested in city government or in careers aligning with the program’s many committees. They are not looking for the student with the most extra-curriculars. So if you have a passion for what the program stands for, I would encourage you to apply regardless of your level of knowledge or community involvement. It has truly opened up a world of opportunities for me.
I first applied for the Student Municipal Representative Program during the spring of my freshman year. In order to be considered for the program, you have to turn in an application and go through the interview process with the mayor and a couple other city government employees. I found this part of the process to be extremely valuable, as it provided me with experiences that will help me when I apply to careers in the future. After my interview, I was appointed to the Sister City Committee. Because the committee was fairly new, I got a look into the formation process of it all. Our meetings frequently involved how to get our community and the community of Beius (Romania) more connected, whether it be through school-wide or city-wide projects.
During my second (and current) year, I was placed on the Living Green Task Force. It is a pretty informal committee in comparison to some of the others. It meets once a month for about an hour, and is dedicated towards improving the City of Green environmentally. I really enjoy sitting on this committee due to my passion of helping the environment and my concerns surrounding climate issues. We often think that all of the heavy-lifting occurs at the federal level of government, but this program made me realize how much cities are doing at the local level.
I would highly recommend the Student Municipal Representative Program to any student interested in city government or in careers aligning with the program’s many committees. They are not looking for the student with the most extra-curriculars. So if you have a passion for what the program stands for, I would encourage you to apply regardless of your level of knowledge or community involvement. It has truly opened up a world of opportunities for me.