REC students participate in Youth in Government

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Last month, the Central YMCA of Youngstown took five students from Rayen Early College Middle School to participate in the Youth In Government Programs in Columbus.

Students were required to create a bill which they had to present at the Statehouse in front of nearly 200 other middle-school participants.

Once the bill was presented, delegates from other schools were able to approve or reject each bill.

The Youngstown group created a bill that required a person to have a gun permit in order to purchase a handgun, and the bill passed.

The experience was one that neither the students nor their advisers Joselyn L. Parker of YMCA, Penny Wells, a retired city schools teacher; Kevin Douglas of Rayen Early College and Misty Lemon of the YMCA will soon forget.

“There was something very special about seeing young people lead in the capacity that they led this weekend,” Parker said. “As first-timers, we didn’t know what to expect, but the students exceeded any expectation that we could have ever had; they represented Youngstown incredibly.”

Seventh-grader Aalissia Thomas was voted president of the Senate for YIG 2016 after delivering a speech to her fellow delegates.

Other participating students were Alexes Jackson, Isaiah Ramos, Tyrell Meyers and Jullian Santiago.