Congresswoman Helps Students Find Their Political Voice
Mira Patel of Swarthmore with her congressional representative, Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5). Photo: Nailah Okolosi
Last summer, I found out that my congresswoman, Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5), was starting a Congressional Youth Cabinet. These non-partisan groups allow members of congress to connect with young people in their districts to discuss policy and work together to solve pressing issues in their communities. I was beyond excited by the opportunity and decided to apply.
Rep. Scanlon’s cabinet consists of about 30 high school juniors and seniors from across Delaware County who are passionate about a wide range of issues and are looking for ways to be politically active. The first meeting was at Delaware County Community College last September. We introduced ourselves to Rep. Scanlon, connected with one another, and talked about our priorities, from women’s rights to foreign policy.
On February 9 the group met again, this time at Williamson College of the Trades in Media. The congresswoman brought in guest speakers on climate change and gun control. Emma Fisher from PennEnvironment, whose title is Climate Defender Organizer, spoke about the importance of encouraging our local representatives to take action against climate change and about ways to get involved within our communities. We shared our own experiences with encouraging “go green” initiatives. Many students said their school’s classrooms didn’t even have recycling bins! The congresswoman told us about current legislation in the U.S. House and encouraged us to contact her office with ideas.
Also at this meeting — which was near the two year anniversary of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida — we talked about living in a time when there’s a desperate need for laws to fight gun violence. Students expressed their frustration with the lack of movement on this issue and asked the congresswoman questions about how to move forward. This sparked conversation about the importance of youth voting. One student said that her high school, Haverford High School, won the Governor’s Civic Engagement Award for having 85% of eligible students registered to vote. Other students wonder how to achieve this at their own schools.
While many members of the cabinet, including me, won’t be eligible to vote in the 2020 election, these meetings have proven to me that there are other ways to be politically active and contribute to progress in society. I learned about upcoming events in my community, from tree-planting days to climate change protests in Philadelphia. Most importantly, talking with Rep. Scanlon helped us learn how to use our collective voice.
Mira Patel is a junior at Strath Haven High School.
