Anthony Garcia-Ramirez learned the importance of collaboration and communication in his term on the new Nevada County Youth Commission.
“It was a really good opportunity to grow, not just on public policy, but as an individual,” said the Truckee High School junior. Serving on the commission gave him a chance to work with people with different perspectives. “Hearing others out, even when you don’t agree – that’s going to help us in the future,” he said.
Garcia-Ramirez is leaving the group so he can focus more time on his studies. He plans to pursue a career in real estate while attending college.
He said the hardest part about serving on the Youth Commission was making the 100-mile round trip to the Rood Center in Nevada City up to twice a month to attend meetings. He and the other east county youth commissioners didn’t return to Truckee until 9 or 9:30 p.m., making it challenging to keep up with schoolwork and other responsibilities. Zoom meetings were rejected, since the point of the commission was to bring the young people together, Garcia-Ramirez said.
Learning government lingo was also difficult. There were many terms and programs he didn’t know. “It opened my eyes to more,” he said.
High points of his time in the group included meeting with Congressman Kevin Kiley to discuss ways to help teens address mental health and substance abuse issues. “He was really understanding,” Garcia-Ramirez said. “It was kind of intimidating because I’ve never spoken to a congressman before.”
His advice to future youth commissioners is to not be afraid to ask questions. “There is no dumb question,” he said. “Don’t stay quiet. Know your voice matters.”
