For some teens, finding their voice starts with stepping outside their comfort zone.
This summer, teens from the Minot Air Force Base Youth Center did just that through two national leadership opportunities, connecting with other youth, advocating for their communities, and discovering their potential as leaders.
Four Minot teens were selected to participate in the Summit for America’s Youth (SAY) for the first time along with the National Keystone Conference, joining Boys & Girls Club youth from across the country. Milania Gomez, Gavin Kennedy, Kinley Coster, and Fatimazahra Elbouab were selected to attend the Summit for America’s Youth, while Kellum Marshall, Milania Gomez, Youness Elbouab, and Fatimazahra Elbouab were selected to attend the National Keystone Conference.
According to Mr. Jacorryn “Jay” Wyatt, teen coordinator at the Minot AFB Youth Center, SAY was designed to empower teens to create an advocacy project aimed at addressing an issue within their community. During the Summit, teens built their civic leadership skills, received advocacy training, and had the opportunity to present their community projects directly to U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
As one of fewer than 10 military-affiliated Boys & Girls Clubs represented at the Summit, the Minot AFB Youth Center sent the 4 selected teens to Washington, D.C. for the Summit, where they met with North Dakota Senators Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven, along with Representative Julie Fedorchak to discuss their advocacy project. The project they brought to the table focused on solutions to substance abuse among local youth.
“This [topic] is important to me because so many people I care about and many others struggle with quitting, whether it’s drinking, smoking, or vaping,” 15-year-old Minot teen Kinley Coster said.
Wyatt said giving military youth a voice in D.C. was especially important because they can advocate for the military teen population that can sometimes feel “abandoned, unsupported, and unheard.”
For Gavin Kennedy, age 15, meeting with lawmakers was one of the most memorable parts of the Summit. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and if I had the chance to do it again, I would.”
The experience also showed teens that their age doesn’t prevent them from contributing to important conversations.
“It made me realize that young people can have conversations with lawmakers and actually have our voices heard,” Milania Gomez said.
Wyatt also noted a change in the teens’ confidence throughout the week.
“At the start of the summit, the majority of the teens were nervous to interact with others and be the voice that represents their club,” Wyatt said. However, by the end of the week, he saw teens volunteering for leadership opportunities and representing their clubs with confidence.
Those lessons continued at the National Keystone Conference in Orlando, Florida, where Boys & Girls Club teens came together to explore community issues, build relationships, and celebrate their individual Keystone clubs.
It provided an opportunity to meet others who understood aspects of military life firsthand.
“One of the most meaningful conversations I had was with another military youth about our experiences,” Gomez said. “It was nice talking to someone who understood parts of my life without me having to explain everything.”
The conference also pushed students to become more comfortable meeting new people and trying unfamiliar activities.
“When I went into the conference, I was expecting a lot of pressure and stress, but I felt that I had a lot of fun,” Kellum Marshall, a Minot teen, said.
For Youness Elbouab, the conference reinforced his understanding of leadership.
“A good leader isn’t someone who is loud or bossy. A good leader is someone who listens to ideas, pushes others to their limits, and serves as the shoulder that others can lean on during times of hardship,” Elbouab explained.
Wyatt hopes the experiences will encourage the teens to continue identifying and addressing issues in their own communities, giving youth the “blueprint” needed to create meaningful change after returning home. Ultimately, he believes the programs reinforce the importance of character and service.
From preparing their project for SAY to fundraising to attend the National Keystone Conference, the lesson was simple: being young doesn’t mean being powerless.
Their voices can reach a youth center, a community, a congressional office, and, with the right opportunity, the national stage.
