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 “Stand
up and debate which
is better, Coke or Pepsi.”
The
soft-spoken sophomore at Saddleback High School couldn’t quite
believe what she had heard. It was Priscilla Gonzalez’ first
YMCA Youth and
Government meeting and they were already being asked
to get up in front of people and speak.
By the time
she went to the state capital in Sacramento with 2,500 other youth,
she had discovered the strength at the heart of the 50-year-old mock
legislature program. “I discovered
that I have a voice,” said Priscilla. “For
the first time, I expressed my opinions in front of people I didn’t
know.”
 Three
years later in her essay for the Gates Millennium Scholarship, Priscilla
credited the YMCA
Youth and Government Program for helping her to develop
her confidence and desire to be a leader. In May, Priscilla learned
that she had been chosen as one of only seven youth in Orange County
to win. Founded by Bill and Melinda Gates, the scholarship will cover
her complete education expenses, including tuition, housing and other
costs. If she chooses to complete a masters or doctorate degree, the
scholarship will continue for up to 10 years.
Priscilla
wrote her essay while serving as the president-elect of her Youth
and Government delegation.
In its 59th
year, the statewide program gives high school sophomores, juniors,
and seniors across the state a “hands on” experience where
they simulate the California state government process.
“I
can honestly say that it changed my life. It has been the most
rewarding experience of my high school years,” said
Priscilla.
During a
nine-month period, the teen delegates write bills, select governmental
positions to role-play, attend statewide training conferences and run
for various elected offices. The program reaches its peak in Sacramento
at the State Capital when the “real” government moves over
and the teen delegates “take over,” using the historic
halls, chambers, and offices of our State Capitol, Supreme Court, and
Governor’s office.
Because
the conferences and Sacramento trip involve both travel and lodging,
students must contribute close to $2,500 to participate.
After her
father died when she was a young child, her mother, a maintenance worker,
worked hard to provide the best education for Priscilla and her two
sisters, but like many of the youth in the program, Priscilla would
not have been able to participate without scholarship funds. Last year,
of the 29 delegates from Santa Ana, West County and Saddleback delegations,
10 received financial assistance, including all eight from the Santa
Ana group. (An additional 100 delegates from the Newport-Mesa delegation
receive primary funding through the school district.)
Now at UCLA,
she plans to major in either political science or film. “I
see politics as a major part of everyday life, and I know that effective
change can be made when people take action,” she
said.
“I
thank everyone who made my involvement in Youth and Government possible…I
want to help more students have this awesome experience."
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