As Texas Youth & Government’s 2024 State Conference reels to a start, swarms of future legislatures, senators, representatives, and various others bring competitive spirit and their best to the Capitol. Among these revolutionary teenagers, Preston Lee, a candidate for Y&G governor, rises above, leading our youth with vigor and promises to be an active voice and force of change. Lee represents the efforts of fellow students to learn and execute democracy while encouraging others to step out of their comfort zones and see failure as a path to success. The young candidate captivates his audience with an engaging yet short speech, not just with mementos and encouragement but feasible ideas for future improvements in communication and connectivity within the organization.
Lee delves deep into plans of connectivity and communication within Youth & Government; his idea consists of creating a network, known as Y-check-ins, allowing all delegations and sections to have representation and an audible voice. The 17-year-old candidate emphasizes, “Because, without your voice and impact, who are we as Texas Youth & Government? The front-facing or the selfies are the most important because it is all about you. A small picture with a big impact. It represents our Y. That’s you, the people of Y&G, your voices and your stories.”
Lee makes it apparent that, if elected as governor, his focus will be on the experiences and relationships the vast participants of Y&G could share and the new perspective all members could gain. He concludes his eloquent speech with a few words of affirmation urging his fellow peers to vote for proper representation, “Imagine this: if a BeReal can bring global effect in 120 milliseconds, imagine the change and purpose each one of you can have by voting for me with just one vote. A vote for Lee, is a vote for me”. The young candidate’s invigorating speech illustrates his innate ability to unify Youth & Government. As a result, he gets 1000 program members to reiterate his slogan: A vote for Lee is a vote for me. During an interview with the governor candidate, Lee identifies his goal as governor to “Advocate and be a representative for the students across Y&G” and explains his focus on communication and connectivity in Y&G as “Those have been the two things that have really stood as a stepping stone through my journey in Y&G. Connection has been something so impactful for me, because when I started the program in 6th grade the ability to connect, the ability to communicate, those two important things have carried me through”.
Although Lee recognizes the ferocity of his competition, the young candidate remains confident in his skill, stating, “The sole thing that distinguishes me from other candidates, respectfully, is my experience.” The young man realizes his involvement within the organization has been six whole years, six state conferences, and six wonderful opportunities to progress, connect, and improve an expanding community.
Written by: Amina Ahmed, Foy H Moody High School