Walla Walla’s Youth and Government Delegation at Democrats’ June meeting

At their June 13 meeting, Walla Walla Democrats heard from members of Walla Walla’s “Youth and Government” (YAG) delegation. At the 2023 Youth Mock Legislature in Olympia, the local delegation won the “Delegation of the Year” award for the second year in a row and members held three of ten top statewide offices.

Karen Hedine, Adult Advisor to the delegation and CEO of the Walla Walla YMCA, explained that YAG is a national program of the YMCA to increase youth understanding and participation in government and public affairs as well as give participating youth new skills and self-confidence. In Walla Walla, the YAG program is comprised of between 35-60 teens from Garrison and Pioneer Middle Schools, Lincoln, and Walla Walla High Schools. Pre-COVID the delegation included 57 youth. Post-COVID the program has been rebuilding with 30-35 students in 2023. Students in the program are representative of the Walla Walla Valley’s diverse socio-economic demographic.

As an extra-curricular, out-of-school program, YAG students meet weekly during the school year. They research, write, and submit bills that they deem important, and practice debate skills as they build their public speaking confidence and public policy knowledge. YAG nurtures the unique perspectives that youth hold on local issues. It encourages new ideas being brought to the table from those who offer a source of fresh energy and passion for positive change.

Each May, the Walla Walla YAG delegation joins hundreds of youths from delegations across the state at the State Capitol. There they take part in a model youth legislature - moving bills through committee and debating them on the floors of the House and Senate. Elected students serve in major offices and all other delegates serve as senators and representatives, lobbyists, members of the press corps and pages. In 2023, the Walla Walla YAG delegation held three of the state’s 10 major elected offices, and, for the second year in a row, was named the Delegation of the Year by its peer delegations for its legislative leadership, support of other delegations and commitment to YAG.

The students who made presentations at the meeting were:

• Christian Luna: YAG’s 2023 Secretary of State and 2022 Speaker of the House, graduated senior, attending the University of Washington this fall, majoring in Politics.

• Mila Petit: 2023 Governor’s Youth Cabinet Member, graduated senior, attending Macalester College this fall, majoring in Politics.

• Arin Iverson: 2023 Youth Senator, graduated senior, attending Stanford this fall, majoring in Chemical Engineering.

• Joseph Mallen: Incoming freshman, starting Wa-Hi in the fall. They were accompanied by their new advisor Janet Mallen, who is Joseph’s mother.

Some key points of the students’ remarks:

• YAG has helped them be more outgoing and better able to articulate their thoughts.

• The mock legislature was a great opportunity to work with over 400 diverse students from across the state.

• YAG substantially increased their interest in and understanding of governmental and political processes.

• In the mock legislature, they learned how bills become laws from drafting, through hearings, actions by the House and Senate, and final action by the Governor.

• Walla Walla is the only YAG chapter in southeastern Washington.

• It was great to be elected the outstanding delegation in Washington State for the second year in a row.