A Bittersweet Goodbye from Lana Kamel
By: Cora Howell
The bus rattles across the bumpy road as sunlight beams through the windows, disappearing only under the shadows of trees above. In the distance, the stark white dome of the Texas Capitol stands out brightly, and delegates chatter excitedly at the sight ahead of them, ready to finally step into the Capitol. Yet even in the bustle of elated chatter, for some, it is only a lingering reminder of what is to be missed after graduation.
As senior legislative delegate Lana Kamel takes in the sights around her, the chirping of birds hidden above, fellow delegates stopping to take pictures, and the heavy, ornate door of the Capitol open one last time for her, she cannot help but feel bittersweet at it all. Reflecting on her final day in Youth and Government, Lana stated, “I’ve been emotional since this morning. Youth and Government has meant so much to me, and has been the itemization of everything that has mattered to me for the better period of my life. The thought of not being in the program anymore and not with the people I’ve grown to love so much is heartbreaking.”
In her past two years of being in the Youth and Government program, Lana has participated in the legislative section, competed at state for both years, qualified for senate, and received the distinguished delegate award at the 2025 state conference. As she goes into the capitol one last time to debate bills and amendments, instead of pressuring herself to live up to insurmountable expectations of delivering an impressive last debate she has taken a new approach to her final time on the senate floor: “I feel intimidated as I always do, and I feel anxious as I always do, but honestly, since it is my last year, I don’t necessarily feel like I have to go out with a bang. I just feel like I have to enjoy myself.”
This sentiment, to take it all in and enjoy the moment, is one that Lana believes all underclassmen and incoming seniors could learn from. As freshmen delegates enter the Capitol for the first time, taking in the white Grecian architecture, sophomores try to remember where the bathrooms are, and juniors walk confidently to their committee rooms, Lana calls for us all to “take in the present moment, notice the minute details, and remember why we’re here.”
As Lana leaves the Capitol for the last time, walking across the hard cobblestone surrounding the lush green lawn, she takes pride knowing that she’ll return one day. “A fellow delegate brought up the fact that not too far from now, I’ll be here at the Capitol, but for real debate, it’ll be something tangible, something that I can turn into my career. So for now, as I leave the Capitol for the last time, I try to take comfort in the fact that this isn’t the last time I’ll be here, just a short farewell for the time being.”