Some of you may know that the Youth Leadership Commission was created in 2017...and now we’re about to celebrate its fifth year with a new cohort! The commission is special in providing opportunities for the youth to be civically engaged, but what gives it character is simple: the people. So, before we welcome our new commissioners in August, let’s take a trip down memory lane and catch up with some veteran commissioners! Jack Casey (2017-2018), Nathan Seaway (2017-2019), and Caroline Francois (2018-2019) kindly accepted the invitation to be interviewed for this blog post.
JACK CASEY
Would you mind telling us a little about yourself to start with? What you’ve been doing since you left the Commission, where you go to college and what you’re studying, etc!
I was born in Walnut Creek and attended Valle Verde and Northgate. I now go to the University of Southern California where I double major in History and Latin American and Iberian Studies. I work as a research assistant, resident assistant, and have an undergraduate research fellowship. I am in my fourth year and am graduating in December. I hope to do a Fulbright or enter a PhD program in History after I graduate.
Are there any key takeaways from being on the Commission that you still hold with you today, or any ways that the Commission changed you?
My time on the Commission made me realize that there are so many young members of the community who are civically and politically engaged. I think that too often young people are discounted as too inexperienced to accomplish anything, but that is completely false. We have the best vision for our future and what we want our society to look like. I realized that it wasn’t just me who thought like this, but other young community members. Having the opportunity to speak with local government officials and have them ask our honest opinions is not something that happens everyday. This made me be more vocal about my opinions and what I wanted to see in our city. That is an incredible thing that not everyone gets to experience.
What project(s) were you a part of?
I helped plan the Youth Conference in 2018.
Do you have a favorite fun/silly memory from your time that comes to mind?
One of my favorite memories was when we were filming a promotional video for the next wave of applicants and couldn’t compose ourselves. We were just goofing off in the Mayor’s office and it was funny to be teenagers in such a professional space and just failing to take anything seriously in that moment.
Do you have any advice to share with future applicants?
My advice to future applicants would be to continue to envision greater change in Walnut Creek. The Youth Commission has influence that can enact change in our community. I know it’s been said many times before, but be the change you want to see.
NATHAN SEAWAY
Would you mind telling us a little about yourself to start with? What you’ve been doing since you left the Commission, where you go to college and what you’re studying, etc!
I've lived in Walnut Creek all my life (18 years!), and I have to say being on the Commission was one of the best parts
about my experience in WC.
Next year, I am going to UC Santa Barbara where I will be majoring in Global Studies!
Are there any key takeaways from being on the Commission that you still hold with you today, or any ways that the Commission changed you?
I would say a key takeaway that I got from serving on the Youth Commission is to strive to create a dynamic team, that is diverse in backgrounds and ideas, and gets along together. During my time on the youth commission we were such a group, and It was awesome! Creative, cool, and novel ideas were constantly being generated, and work actually got done, because we meshed so well together and loved working on commission projects. I would say going forward that I am going to try to only join groups that mirror the energy of The WC Youth Commission, because it worked so well and made working so fun.
What project(s) were you a part of?
While on the Commission I took part in two projects: a Walnut Creek Youth Conference my first year which focused on connecting youth to opportunities in the local community, and an outreach toolkit video series to help young people conduct outreach on their projects (which you can still view on Youtube!).
Do you have a favorite fun/silly memory from your time that comes to mind?
I don't have any silly memories, but I have to say our pasta feeds were 10/10.
Do you have any advice to share with future applicants?
I would encourage future applicants to not be afraid to put any great ideas for projects that the YC could do on their application; I remember we were always really impressed when applicants would show their passion and creativity with a project idea on their application. Good luck!
CAROLINE FRANCOIS
Would you mind telling us a little about yourself to start with? What you’ve been doing since you left the Commission, where you go to college and what you’re studying, etc!
I am a rising junior at Wellesley College
majoring in History (with a concentration
in the History of American Epidemics). At Wellesley, I'm heavily involved in college government and residential life, and I'm on the club water polo team!
Are there any key takeaways from being on the Commission that you still hold with you today, or any ways that the Commission changed you?
On the Youth Leadership Commission, I was encouraged to speak up and felt that my feedback was heard by the people in positions of power. I have taken this developed skill into college government at Wellesley, where I have been able to support institutional changes as an undergraduate student.
What project(s) were you a part of?
My favorite project on the Commission was our youth historical walking tour of downtown. We partnered with the Walnut Creek Historical Society and had an incredible turnout! It was an awesome example of the Commission's direct community impact.
Do you have a favorite fun/silly memory from your time that comes to mind?
One of my favorite memories from my time on the Commission is cramming almost every member into one of the City Hall elevators... It made for a fun ride and we even snapped a selfie!
Do you have any advice to share with future applicants?
I would encourage future potential applicants to apply even if they do not feel qualified to serve on the Commission. One of the best parts about the YLC is that you are working alongside your peers to serve the city and also to grow your own leadership skills.
A big thank you to Jack, Caroline, and Nathan for sharing their experiences!
And remember: Once a commissioner, always a commissioner.
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