Elkhorn Students Give Presentation to Mayor
Elkhorn students that were part of the 2018-2019 Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission gave a presentation to Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert on Monday, April 15th.
Elkhorn Students Sam Lilly, Ashtyn Tridle, and Katie Swanson stand next to Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert and the mayor’s facilitators Kelsey Dolinsky and Terri Armstrong. Dolinsky and Armstrong led the Mayor’s group throughout the year.
Elkhorn Students that were selected as part of Omaha Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission gave a presentation to the mayor Monday night in the Legislative Chambers.
This is Elkhorn’s first year in the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission.
Students have been preparing for the presentation for over two months.
Members for the commission were selected in September of 2018. The six Elkhorn students that were selected include seniors Sam Lilly, Trevi Ray, Tyler Wehling, and Alise Warneking as well as juniors Katie Swanson and Ashtyn Tridle.
Sam Lilly, Katie Swanson, and Ashtyn Tridle represented Elkhorn at the presentation. Their topic was over sexual predators and grooming.
Other Omaha area schools present included Elkhorn South, Omaha North, Boystown, Creighton Prep, Westside, Brownell Talbot, Duchesne, Millard West, Millard North, Ralston, Omaha South, Omaha Northwest, Millard South, Omaha Central, and Marian.
Topics that were highlighted all related to the #BeKind movement started by Ralston’s superintendent. Vaping, domestic violence, cyber bullying, depression and suicide, bullying, and sexual predation were all discussed throughout the program and were presented to the mayor and parents that were present.
Mayor Jean Stothert gave her remarks at the beginning and end of the presentations. Stothert started the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission in 2013.
Mayor Jean Stothert was impressed with the quality work that the students have shown and was pleased to see that the problems at hand were relevant in all Omaha schools. Stothert plans to continue on with the commission in hopes of continuing to educate juniors and seniors in the area on problems that Omaha faces and how one can help in their community.
Kelsey Dolinsky, a hotline supervisor, and Terri Armstrong, community and government affairs coordinator, led the Mayor’s group throughout the year. “I was blown away by the videos… really impressed,” Armstrong said.
A sticky-note activity that was done in the fall of 2018 pointed out problems that students were seeing in their school. Armstrong and Dolinsky enjoyed the activity because they saw similar issues across the board.
Elkhorn Junior Katie Swanson applied for MYAC because it was “a good way to get involved” and she wanted to see how she could contribute to the community. Swanson also said that she will be applying again next school year.
“It was fun to be with the seniors,” Swanson said.
Sam Lilly gives the final remarks at the end of the presentation. Lilly is a senior at Elkhorn High School.
Sam Lilly had the opportunity to give the final remarks during the presentation. “I’ve been very fortunate to have a really good counselor and relationship with her,” Lilly said. “Because of that, she’s pointed me towards many leadership opportunities.”
“There is no singular trait that an applicant should have. What is most important is the willingness to try,” Lilly said. “It is a great experience and I would encourage everyone to apply and to make the most of it.”
The Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission was an executive order created in 2013 with the purpose to help the mayor hear the perspective from Omaha’s youth and future leaders.
Applications for the 2019-2020 MYAC will be available in the late summer from the guidance counselors.
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