LITTLE ROCK – U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) applauded his 2021-2022 Congressional Youth Cabinet on Friday as participants presented their legislative proposals regarding student loan debt, minimum wage requirements and laws governing alcohol and tobacco.
The 54 high school juniors shared their ideas with the senator during presentations at the Arkansas State Capitol. The students selected issues to address at their first meeting in the fall and collaborated throughout the year to create their recommendations. In addition to policy suggestions, the students had to describe how their proposal would be funded and implemented.
“I am proud of these young leaders for their hard work, dedication and interest in learning about and developing public policy solutions,” Boozman said. “These students balance a lot of priorities and I am pleased they put such great effort into their presentations. I am confident they will continue to be leaders who give back to their communities and hope their participation in the Congressional Youth Cabinet has given them a valuable window into public policy and public service. This is something they can point to in the future as having helped them become better students and more informed, engaged citizens.”
Sabian Murry, Bryant High School student who served as the 2nd and 4th Congressional Districts group leader, said, “I am very fortunate to have been selected to become a member of the Congressional Youth Cabinet. It has truly widened my perspective on what it means to not only be a part of a team that has to make difficult decisions for complex issues, but also how to communicate with people who view issues differently from me. I've learned that it's effective to have a diverse selection of individuals when confronting issues, so that as many groups as possible receive representation in life-altering law changes.”
“Being on the Senator’s youth cabinet has made my childhood dream of being active in politics a reality (I wrote several stories about being president in the 6th grade),” The Academies at Jonesboro High School student and group leader for the 1st Congressional District Webb Storer said. “It has also given me the opportunity to present ideas in a meaningful and impactful way which is unique to such a forum. Meeting new people has allowed me to see multiple perspectives on the issues at hand much easier and make friends along the way.”
“I have learned so much from being on Senator Boozman’s Youth Congressional Cabinet these last few months, most notably, that all topics and issues are vastly more complicated than one would originally think. All the amazing people I have met and worked with have really shown me how to be part of a team, and how to tackle complicated issues that apply to the world. Although it has been hard, the values and knowledge I have learned through this will help me for the rest of my life,” said Tyler Wirthlin, Bentonville West High School student and 3rd Congressional District group leader.
The Congressional Youth Cabinet is designed to give students first-hand experience with the democratic process and an opportunity to learn how public policy impacts them, their families and their communities.
Southside's very own Allyson Edmonds, Jordan Young, Julia Gross , and Shanna Santini were Youth Cabinet participants. Click here for a complete list of Congressional Youth Cabinet participants.