by Amiya ‘25, Megan ‘24 and Thy ‘24
Three Notre Dame students, Amiya ‘25, Megan ‘24 and Thy ‘24, have been appointed to be San José City Youth Commissioners! Appointed directly by their San José City Councilmembers’ offices, each of these students work to write policies, host events and advocate for the youth in their district. The Youth Commission is the official advisory body to the Mayor and City Council and is focused on empowering and encouraging youth to be civically engaged through local and citywide initiatives.
Amiya has served as the District 6 Youth Commissioner for the past year, representing the broader Willow Glen area. She is also the Communications Director for the Commission. Megan serves as the District 7 Youth Commissioner and is the youth representative for the central San José area, bordered by six different districts. Thy serves as the District 4 Youth Commissioner and overlooks the Berryessa region, including the parts of San José that border Milpitas.
On Tuesday, Sept. 12, the Youth Commission achieved a significant victory: the City Council approved the Commission's Youth Enhancement memo, a series of recommendations developed over the past year to compensate Youth Commissioners, encourage collaboration with other Boards and Commissions and shift the language of the Municipal Code to strengthen the Commission’s functions, powers and duties.
This August, the Youth Commission established a year-long work plan that addressed researching and solving youth priorities. They are intent on proposing a Youth Participatory Budgeting Program Pilot, combating climate change by encouraging sustainability and native plant restoration, and researching and campaigning against sexual assault and harassment.
Currently, Amiya, Megan and Thy are recruiting for their Youth Advisory Councils (YACs), which are groups of students that work under each Commissioner to support youth voices. YACs write policies, host drives and events, and identify and solve issues with community service and leadership. You do not have to be a part of a particular district to join its YAC. Students looking to step up as future Commissioners should aspire to gain experience through YACs first. If interested in joining, please email YouthCom7@sanjoseca.gov, YouthCom4@sanjoseca.gov or YouthCom6@sanjoseca.gov. You can also visit the official website.
