Sen. Arellano connects Sauk Valley-area high school students with state government

SPRINGFIELD – High school students from across the 37th Senate District traveled to Springfield on Wednesday to participate in state Sen. Li Arellano’s inaugural Youth Advisory Council.

“It was a great day having our future leaders here at the state Capitol and giving them a glimpse into state government,” said Arellano, R-Dixon. “The lawmaking process is incredibly important, and providing students the opportunity to see the work we do as legislators is a key part of our civic duty. Educating our youth is the first step in energizing constituents and giving these young citizens a voice – especially since they will be inheriting the results of our work.”

About 50 students from 12 high schools attended the spring council meeting. The YAC is a two-part series that begins in the fall with a district meeting and concludes in the spring at the state Capitol.

“I like meeting all of the other kids from different schools. I come from a really small school, and we really only talk to people who are in our school district or who are really close to us,” Allie Peterson of Indian Creek High School said. “It’s fun to meet new people who I haven’t spoken to before and talk about something that’s academic.”

“I have never been to Springfield, and so this is my first experience,” Norah Schultz of Princeton High School said. “I really enjoyed seeing the Senate, the House of Representatives and seeing how everything comes together.”

During the spring visit, students heard from guest speakers, toured the House and Senate floors, and participated in a mock committee meeting, giving them hands-on experience of the legislative process.

“I got picked to be the sponsor for the bill, so I have been researching to get what I know down about the bill so I can answer questions,” Ian Gillespie of Illinois Valley Central High School said. “It’s just more knowledge about how to pass a bill and gain some greater experience, only being in high school and learning more about what I want to do in the future.”

Students had the opportunity to hear from state Rep. Ryan Spain and state Rep. Bradley Fritts. Illinois Senate Republican Events and Engagement Director Lori Yates also gave a presentation on her path to public service.

“In school, I have always loved learning about government and history, and coming here has taken it to the next level,” Alayna Young of Polo Community High School said. “A lot of kids don’t have the opportunity to learn about this at a young age, and I think it is important to learn about the government process just to understand how everything works when you go out into the world and will be able to vote.”

Arellano looks forward to welcoming high school students once again to his fall council meeting. Lunch for this year’s YAC was provided by Meridian Health.

The 37th Senate District includes all or parts of Bureau, DeKalb, Henry, La Salle, Lee, Marshall, Ogle, Peoria, Rock Island, Stark, Whiteside and Woodford counties.