Simitian Appoints Local Students to County Youth Task Force
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN JOSE – Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian today announced the appointment of three local teenagers to the County Youth Task Force. Joshua Lee of Saratoga, Krishna Ammini of Mountain View, and Amanda Chan of Cupertino were appointed, effective immediately.
“I’m always happy to see young people step up to serve,” said Simitian. “We all benefit when there’s a way for them to make their voices heard, and bring their ideas into the public square.”
The County’s Youth Task Force is made up of 15 high-school aged youth who serve as an advisory body to the Board of Supervisors. Members are involved with making policy recommendations concerning youth in the County, and working to find solutions that will improve the lives of young people in our community today. Recently, members organized a presentation at a local high school to raise awareness about mental health issues. They also orchestrated a county-wide youth survey about issues important to young people, which collected more than 900 responses.
Lee, a freshman at Saratoga High School, has volunteered with the community service program City Team, where he helped prepare and distribute food for homeless residents. He also spent four days in an underprivileged neighborhood in Fresno working with Hmong refugees.
“Those experiences really changed my attitude towards people with less luxury than we have in the Bay Area, and helped me learn how to interact with people in an environment that used to be uncomfortable for me,” Lee said. “I want to bring those lessons to the Youth Task Force, and contribute to my community on a bigger scale.”
Ammini, a resident of Mountain View and a junior at Los Altos High School, has served on Congresswoman Anna Eshoo’s Student Advisory Board, where he researched internet privacy and net neutrality, and was a Student Ambassador to the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar at Sacramento State University. He also attended the Grand Strategy Session of the Yale Young Global Scholars Program last year, and has been a member of the American Red Cross International Services Committee since 2012.
“I have always believed in the importance of youth participating in their local government,” said Ammini. “I believe that the impact of youth on our community is very valuable; and, that our local government should continue to engage youth in policymaking in order to arrive at effective solutions that address real issues in our community.”
Chan, a resident of Cupertino and Junior at Monta Vista High School, is passionate about serving her community through volunteer work. She has participated in various volunteer events through her church and school, including Operation Christmas Child, where she prepared Christmas gifts for children whose families could not afford them. Chan is active in her school’s journalism program, and has played softball for ten years.
“Making a difference doesn’t mean solving all the world’s problems,” Chan said. “It’s about doing what you can, with the resources that you have, to make an impact that will change another person’s life for the better.”
“The Youth Task Force is an important part of our policymaking process here at the County,” Simitian said. “It gives young people a way to get involved, but it also lets the rest of us hear new ideas and perspectives that might otherwise be overlooked. And I have to say, the passion and creativity these kids bring to the table is really impressive.”
Members of the public interested in serving on a County Board or Commission, or who would like more information about them, can find the complete list of vacancies at:
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/bos/bnc/Pages/default.aspx