Westchester Government High School Fellows Earn Executive Praise

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — Tomorrow's leaders now have connections in high places in Westchester County, thanks to their hard work as part of an innovative program.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer congratulated ten area high school students who completed the Westchester County Government's Summer Volunteer Fellowship Program. The program provided students with the opportunity to gain professional experience, build leadership skills and work closely with experienced staffers and learn about county government.

"These students are our future leaders and we want to provide a foundation for them, right here in Westchester County, so they can begin to explore the opportunities available in local government," Latimer said. "We want to show them how they can be instrumental in creating a better society by giving them a deeper understanding of how County government works."

The fellows volunteered for around 4-6 weeks as part of senior alternative programs from five different Westchester County high schools. They researched county-wide issues, drafted executive summaries, assisted in facilitating and promoting community events and supported day-to-day operations.

"These high school students were mature, accountable and intelligent," noted Copernicus Crane, Assistant Director of Intergovernmental Relations, who created the program. "They displayed unique critical thinking and leadership skills and their work product was thorough and expansive despite the often advanced topics they were expected to research. We were lucky to have them, and I wish them the best as they move forward in their endeavors."

The students worked on Westchester County's community health survey in New Rochelle and White Plains, organized and coordinated the 2022 Pride Flag Raising and studied a wide variety of issues, including housing and the mobility of low income and homeless/formerly homeless people. They also gained a deeper knowledge of county operations by visting the Material Recovery Facility, the Yonkers and Port Chester Wastewater Treatment Plants, Ward Pound Ridge, Hilltop Hanover, CompostED and the County Archives.

The 2022 graduating high school fellowship class included:

• Phillip Buettner of Rye Neck High School
• Aria Curtis of Tuckahoe High School
• Emily Guzman of Rye High School
• Jackson Lawrence of Fox Lane High School
• Luke Lepore of Rye High School
• Ashley Monahan of Rye Neck High School
• Linus Ringstad of Rye Neck High School
• Papa Sanaah-Faried of Tuckahoe High School
• Justin Solis of Mamaroneck High School
• Rafay Syed of Rye High School