West Central Reporter

Nearly 80 high school students from the 54th Senate District recently gathered in Springfield to engage with government officials and participate in legislative activities. The event was part of Senator Steve McClure's Youth Advisory Council (YAC), designed to immerse students in state government for a day.

"This is a chance to develop the next generation of leaders and to encourage them to get involved in public service," stated Senator McClure. "These students get to experience what it's like to be a legislator and they learn how they can have a positive impact in their communities and across the state."

The council convened at the University of Illinois Springfield's Student Union, where students gained insights into the workings of state government. They also listened to talks by notable figures such as former Governor Jim Edgar and Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White.

"I'm so happy I came here, I learned a lot more about the judicial branch, about the legislative branch, and about the executive branch, and through these activities, I'm a lot more confident about pursuing a career in public service," expressed Makaylah Adams, a junior from Mt. Zion High School. "I think this was a great experience and I'm glad I got to meet people of many different political views here."

Sacred Heart Griffin High School senior Mac Stone commented on the value of learning about government processes: "I thought it was a great experience to learn about government and politics for young people and then learn how to get into that type of stuff and then learn the process of what they do and how they do it."

In the afternoon session, students participated in a mock legislative committee hearing, assuming roles such as legislators, lobbyists, and even the Governor.

"It's been pretty good, pretty informational, the whole process of the Legislative branch," said Kale Texheimer, a junior at Litchfield High School. "You get to come up with new ideas and hear how people view different topics."

Effingham High School senior Nicole Cruz shared her thoughts on the exercise: "It was really interesting to learn the whole bill process and kind of do that myself. As someone who doesn't think about this type of stuff on a day-to-day basis, it was really fun to think about coming up with my own bill and how the entire process goes," she noted. "It definitely provided more info into politics and will help me get more involved in the future."

Senator McClure's YAC program typically meets annually. He encourages interested high school students to discuss participation with their teachers and principals.