saginaw county youth leadership institute county youth leaders… · jim lewis (u.s. rep. kildee)...

It may be several years before our high school and college students fully realize

the value and significance of the January 30 Youth Leadership Institute Legisla-

tive Session. As SCYLI students sat elbow-to-elbow with state senators, state

representatives, judges, county commissioners, the county sheriff, and legislative

staff members, they were able to hear the elected officials’ stories and learn first-

hand how and why they chose to be public servants.

I believe the most important lesson that our students learned was that elected of-

ficials are people just like them. They are approachable and personable. Students

learned that many of them came from humble beginnings, and they learned what

motivated them to pursue careers in public service.

Perhaps these stories sparked an interest for some of our students and encour-

aged them to persevere toward those goals that before might have seemed unat-

tainable. Perhaps they’ll reach out to their elected officials for additional advice

and support. That is our hope. If even one student was inspired to reach a little

higher, the day will have been worthwhile.

Our hats are off to the elected officials who took the time to join our students for

lunch and conversation. Hats off, also, to our Roberts Fellows, who helped fa-

cilitate the roundtable discussion. I believe it was a day that high school, as well

as college students, will often recall as they mature into adulthood and their cho-

sen careers.

Dr. Nancy Lewis

Consultant, SCYLI

Saginaw County Youth Leadership Institute

Special points of interest:

18 high schools from

Saginaw County

55 high school

Students participating

21 Saginaw Valley

State University

mentors

4 on-campus

leadership events

2 service projects

12 professional

facilitators

155 high school

Student SCYLI

graduates

96 graduated mentors

Winter 2009 Volume 4, Issue 3

Inside this issue:

Greetings from

Debbie Stabenow

2

Legislative

Reflections

3

Elected Officials’

Reflections

4

Student Reflections 5

Reflection from

Angela Seeley:

SVSU Student

Association President

6

Diversity Circles

Reflection

7

The Saginaw County Youth Leadership Institute hosted once again another

powerful session on January 30, 2009, centered around diversity dialogue and a

legislative session. This newsletter captures some of the pictures and reflections

from Legislators, elected officials, facilitators, and students. Our sincere thanks

to all who participated and contributed to the success of this session. Their pres-

ence and participation truly made a difference!

Thank you for attending!

Legislative Luncheon

January 30, 2009

Legislators/

Elected Officials

Judge Janet Boes

Commissioner Bregitte Braddock

Commissioner Ann Doyle

Sheriff William Federspiel

Commissioner Eddie Foxx

Chris Hennessy

(U.S. Senator Stabenow)

Judge Kyle Higgs-Tarrant

State Rep. Kenneth Horn

Judge Randall Jurrens

State Senator Roger Kahn

Jim Lewis (U.S. Rep. Kildee)

Commissioner Judith Lincoln

Judge Patrick McGraw

Mayor Joyce Seals

State Rep. Jim Stamas

Judge M.T. Thompson


With per-

m i s s i o n

f r o m

S e n a t o r

D e b b i e

S t a b e -

n o w ’ s

office, the

following

is an ex-

cerpt from

a recent recording of her

thoughts on leadership, taped

for the Saginaw County

Youth Leadership Institute.

It’s so important that we take

seriously being involved in the

community. Whether it’s as

elected officials or whether it’s

in some volunteer capacity, or,

most importantly, as voters to

participate, to speak out, to be

a part of solutions. And this is

a very exciting time in our

country to be able to do that

now.

I became involved in my

community at a very early age.

I was twenty-four, right out of

Michigan State University,

when I got involved in an is-

sue in Lansing in an effort to

keep a local nursing home

open that the county was try-

ing to close, and it was the

only facility at the time that

took low-income seniors. I

was very involved in health

care. I cared about it deeply,

and got involved in the issue.

One thing led to another, we

kept the nursing home open.

Actually, the county ended up

building a new, wonderful

facility that’s still there today,

and it inspired me to get in-

volved and to run for office.

So I ran for the County Com-

mission against the person

who led the effort to close the

nursing home, and despite the

fact that he called me “that

Greetings from Senator Debbie Stabenow

Washington D.C.

young broad,” and I was twenty

-four, but I don’t think that

folks would say that out loud

today. But he called me that,

and the good news is the

“young broad” beat him. So

that was my beginning entrance

in public service and politics.

Since that time, I have had the

terrific honor of serving in the

state legislature—House and

Senate—the U.S. House and

now the U.S. Senate, and I feel

so lucky. This is such an in-

credible job to represent Michi-

gan. I’ve lived in Michigan my

whole life, my family is here,

and to have the opportunity to

represent the whole state and to

fight for us, particularly at such

a challenging time, is a real

honor for me.

Often times I’m asked by stu-

dents “Well, what kind of a

degree should I get if I want to

go into politics?” I would sug-

gest that you don’t think about

it that way. We need people

from all kinds of backgrounds

in public service. We need

people that understand busi-

ness—we need farmers, teach-

ers, and police officers, and

social workers, and people who

come from a faith background

in ministry —we need every-

body! We need people in all

kinds of backgrounds because

that’s what a democracy is all

about: bringing different ideas,

different philosophies, different

experiences together to decide

how to make decisions that are

best for everybody in our state

and in our county. So I would

encourage you, if you’re inter-

ested, to get whatever degree is

of interest to you, get whatever

job is of interest to you and then

get involved in the community.

Volunteer, be involved, learn

about the community, and then

decide if you want to take

that step of running for of-

fice.

I think now is an incredibly

exciting time to be in-

volved—certainly at the fed-

eral level, in a global econ-

omy. I’m now in a job that

really looks at not only

what’s important for Michi-

gan, although that’s my num-

ber one focus, but what’s best

for the country, and how we

fit into the world. My focus

is on jobs, jobs, jobs in

Michigan—to make sure that

we have a strong middle class

in this country, that you have

an opportunity to go to col-

lege, and that the cost doesn’t

slow you down, or some

other barrier doesn’t get in

the way. I want to make sure

that everyone in this country

has the opportunity to have

health care and know their

children will have the health

care that they need for their

families and that we’re basi-

cally having the opportunity

to enjoy the greatness of this

country.

I’m so glad that you are a part

of this very special day and

this very special program.

We need you in whatever

way you decide you want to

be involved. This country

works based on people pay-

ing attention and being in-

volved, holding elected offi-

cials accountable, and some-

times stepping up to be in-

volved in elected office.

Thank you so much for the opportunity once again this year to attend the SVSU Saginaw County

Youth Leadership Institute. Each time that I am able to participate in this program, I am im-

pressed by the thoughtfulness and attentive energy that these young people bring to the table. I am

so encouraged for our region’s future by the quality not just of this program, but of the students

who participate.

Again, thank you so much to you and the students for sharing the day with me this year. I truly

enjoyed myself. I hope that you will let me know in the future if I can be of any help to you, the

students, or to the Saginaw County Youth Leadership Institute.

Representative Kenneth Horn

94th District


State Rep. Kenneth Horn Judge M.T. Thompson Commissioner Judith Lincoln

Commissioner Ann Doyle

Sheriff William Federspiel

Chris Hennessy (Stabenow’s Office)

Jim Lewis (Kildee’s Office)

Commissioner Bregitte Braddock

Legislative Reflections

“Nothing can dim

the light which

shines from

within”

Maya Angelou

Senator Roger Kahn

Thank you for allowing me to participate in the Saginaw County Youth Leadership Institute’s Legis-

lative Session on January 30, 2009. It was a wonderful opportunity to engage in dialogue with the

students. These young people personify the characteristics essential to become successful lead-

ers. The students’ ambitions and accomplishments are a tribute not only to their own efforts but also

to those of their teachers, parents, and community. Saginaw Valley State University provided a

unique forum to simultaneously acknowledge their successes and provide a stimulus for their future

endeavors. This event was an amazing opportunity to expose the students to a vast array of commu-

nity leaders from a cross section of elected positions. It was a learning experience for all partici-

pants. It was refreshing to become acquainted with talented individuals who are vital to the future

success of Saginaw County. Thank you for all your efforts in making the day a success. Saginaw

Valley State University is to be commended for taking a creative, thought out, and active role in the

lives of all the participants.

Judge Kyle Higgs-Tarrant

70th District Court

“Most people

search high and

wide for the keys

to success. If

they only knew,

the key to their

dreams lies

within”

George

Washington

Carver

Elected Officials’ Reflections

Judge Kyle Higgs-Tarrant Judge Patrick McGraw Commissioner Eddie Foxx

State Senator Roger Kahn

Mayor Joyce Seals Judge Randall Jurrens

Volume 4, Issue 3

Getting a chance to speak with area high school kids and answer their questions is really a lot of fun.

Based on the questions I received, I can already tell that this next generation is going to produce some

great leaders.

Senator Roger Kahn

32nd Distrist


“Don’t sit down

and wait for the

opportunities to

come; you have

to get up and

make them.”

Madame C.J.

Walker

Student Reflections

Safety is something to be

desired by all people. I have

observed that many people,

including myself, associate

inner exposure with weakness

and vulnerability as though

one’s character, beliefs, and

personal prejudices are being

challenged. The truth is we

are being fooled! Exposure

does not cause danger but

rather provides an understand-

ing which ultimately can lead

to acceptance. On January 20th

Diversity Dialogue was a ma-

jor theme in January’s SCYLI.

Prior to the session, I believed

diversity dialogue would be a

“feel good” assembly and

something that may, or may

not be applicable beyond the

limits of Saginaw Valley. To

put it simply, I was wrong.

Although we looked at diver-

sity through many different

levels, the “popular preju-

dices” activity had the most

effect on me. As our groups

toured the room and listed all

prejudices, racist remarks,

labels, or associations that are

common in society with a cer-

tain race, our inner exposure

was unknowingly being di-

vulged. Personally, I felt no

threat because this was merely

pinpointing society’s flaws,

not my own. Once every group

had been to every board, we

were instructed to stand next

to the board that corresponds

with our personal ethnicity.

The common phrase, show me

don’t tell me came to mind.

The harrowing emotions were

shown as faces twisted with

disbelief and the eyes stared

blankly, with shame, at the

floor. I will always associate

those faces with the looks of a

chained pet, desiring an out-

side world that their owners

forbid them from living. The

strange thing is, I felt like the

pet and the owner, which

made me question the hypoc-

risy of some of my personal

actions. What most upset me

was the fact that my parallels

between certain groups of peo-

ple and derogatory names, or

general lifestyles were limiting

the success of my companions.

I shutter to think that our ef-

forts, our time, or our dreams

may not reach the maximum

potential because of something

we chose not to stop. It is a

perfect example of how indi-

vidual people hide behind the

sins of society. Even though

we had all heard those terms, I

can assure you I would not

have listed most of the refer-

ences if my name was to be

credited with those sayings.

It’s a world of show, of whom

you can make the world think

you are. I applaud the diversity

dialogue session for exposing

the worst so that the better can

soon come.

Morgan Princing

Frankenmuth High School

Reflection from Angela Seeley

SVSU Student Association President

The Saginaw County Youth Leadership Institute recently hosted their legislative luncheon at

the end of January. I had the honor of being part of this great opportunity to not only meet our

local government officials, but also meet some wonderful youth who are going to be a huge

asset to the communities that they are a part of in the upcoming years. Being a Roberts Fellow

and Student Association President, I have had the opportunity to be a part of this program and

have enjoyed every moment! The legislative luncheon provided the youth leaders of area

schools the opportunity to network and get an idea about public service and their potential in-

volvement in the future.

The session was wonderful because it gave small groups of students the opportunity to talk one

-on-one with a government official and ask them any question. My responsibility was to help

facilitate the discussion that was going on at our table with Saginaw Mayor Joyce Seals. My

job was definitely easy because all of the students at the table were so engaged that they were

asking their own questions, so I only had to work a small portion of the time. The questions

and discussion that occurred at the table were eye-opening. Our economy is a major concern

for many individuals, and we had the opportunity to talk first hand with an official who could

give us a different perspective on the community and our nation.

I definitely feel that the youth of today are stronger than in the past and I think that programs

like the Saginaw County Youth Leadership Institute are opportunities and life changing experi-

ences to actively engage students in our community, the nation, and the world. We need to

focus on investing in the youth of today to develop a better nation tomorrow. That is exactly

what the SCYLI believes in and what its focus has been on. The experiences that it offers to

the area youth are incredible and I can’t wait for my next opportunity to be a part of the pro-

gram!

Angela Seeley, SVSU Senior

Roberts Fellowship Program

Student Association President

Volume 4, Issue 3

“You can’t just

sit there and wait

for people to give

you that golden

dream, you’ve got

to get out there

and make it

happen for

yourself.”

Diana Ross

What is a

Diversity Circle?

Is a process for small-

group deliberation that is

voluntary and

participatory

Is a small group, usually

8 to 12 participants

Is led by a facilitator who

is impartial, who helps

manage the deliberation

process, but is not an

“expert” or “teacher” in

the traditional sense

Considers many

perspectives, rather than

advocating a particular

point of view

Uses ground rules to set

the tone for a respectful,

productive discussion

Is rooted in dialogue and

deliberation, not debate

Has multiple sessions

which move from

personal experience to

the issue, to considering

multiple viewpoints, to

strategies for action

Does not require

consensus, but uncovers

areas of agreement and

common concern

Provides an opportunity

for citizens to work

together to improve their

community

Diversity Circles Reflection

As a part of the Diversity Circles Session, students were asked to identify stereotypes about

individual race and ethnic groups (see above). A stereotype takes place when an individual ap-

plies a bias they have against a whole group of people. After identifying these stereotypes, stu-

dents were asked to stand by the list of their racial/ethnic group and to discuss and report how the

stereotypes listed made them feel. As a whole, the group only seemed surprised about a few of

the stereotypes listed. The general conclusion was that as a society, when we accept stereotypes

as accurate, we become desensitized and look at others not as people, but only in the context of

our stereotyped notions. Most of the students had heard or been identified by the stereotypes of

their racial and ethnic groups. This activity proved that labels can hinder us from embracing

diversity.

I was one of the two facilitators who participated in the Saginaw County Youth Leadership In-

stitute Diversity Dialogue Session. I always find it fascinating to listen to what the students have

to say about the session; to describe it as a five star movie, eye opening and informative. I be-

lieve the Diversity Dialogue Session recognizes the tremendous strength of our diverse student

population and the potential we have for accomplishing great things when we all work together.

It emphasizes the importance of the discussions through dialogue that creates change. The goal is

finding common ground and searching for basic strengths in the other positions and not focusing

on the weaknesses. It gives the opportunity to unveil one’s innermost perceptions and share hon-

est feelings and thoughts about racism.

Sahar Al-Masri

Diversity Circles Facilitator

Volume 4, Issue 3

Mission

The Saginaw County Youth Leadership Institute provides an opportunity for

high school leaders from diverse racial, cultural, and socioeconomic commu-

nities in Saginaw County to gain valuable leadership training and acquire

new skills that will help them lead in any community improvement projects.

Objectives

- Provide opportunities for students to network with other student

leaders and professionals

- Partner with the SVSU Student Association and leaders from other student

organizations

- Provide learning experiences for students to reflect on their own

leadership style

- Promote the importance of diversity, citizenship and stewardship

-Discuss areas for personal leadership

Saginaw Valley State University

7400 Bay Road

Wickes Hall 314

University Center, MI 48710

Dr. Mamie T. Thorns

Special Assistant to the President for Diversity Programs

Dr. Nancy Lewis

SCYLI Consultant

Phone: 989-964-4068

Fax: 989-790-9221

E-mail: [email protected]

[email protected]

saginaw county youth leadership institute county youth leaders… · jim lewis (u.s. rep. kildee)...

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