Rising before the sun typically isn’t on any teenager’s to-do list but for seven members of Plant City’s Youth Leadership Commission, a trip to Florida’s capitol city for a legislative tour was well worth the missed sleep.
The group met at City Hall last Thursday, along with Commissioner Jason Jones and Wesley Joyner, at 5:30 a.m. for the four-hour drive to Tallahassee, the home of Florida’s Executive, Judicial and Legislative branches of state government.
“They’ve learned all about state government, performed a mock session, were recognized on both the House and Senate floors, spoke with Senator Danny Burgess, Representative Danny Alvarez and Attorney General Ashley Moody,” said Jones.
The field trip came about after District 4 Commissioner Michael Owen met with the youth committee to discuss how city and county governments interact, which led to questions about how state issues applied to Plant City. “We saw that we needed to take them to Tallahassee so we made a few phone calls to our great local legislators and were able to put together the trip,” said Jones.
During the tour, Burgess shared that he had been a member of the City of Zephyrhills Youth Council in his teens. “This program builds leadership skills and provides valuable insights into local government,” he said. “It’s great to see kids continue to participate in these important programs.”
Moody also took time out of her busy schedule to meet with the youth in her office. She showed them a plaque on the wall with Plant City’s logo on it and sharing how proud she was to be from Plant City.
“She told them anything was possible and that they can achieve anything and you could see it in their eyes, you could see that sinking it,” said Jones. “It was definitely one of the inspiring moments.”
A few youth commissioners shared their favorite parts of the trip and takeaways:
Lyla Bent, a junior at Durant High School: “We met so many leaders and see how Florida’s government was created. Ashley Moody showed us that any of us can have an impact in our local community and hearing that really inspired me. I’m heavily involved in FFA and I’d like to one day become an agricultural lawyer and fight for our farmers and agriculturalists. We need to focus on this community as a whole and agriculture as a whole, finding a balance supporting growth and supporting our farmers. When I went to the capitol to learn, I was able to talk to legislators about how we need to focus on growing together and supporting our community.”
Bailey Polk, a senior at Strawberry Crest High School: “Ashley Moody told us she was proud of us and that we could be the next leaders of our generation. It was very impactful. We also got to go into a room and do a mock session. We debated whether the state bird should be changed from a mockingbird to a flamingo. I spoke out against it because it was going to cost $5,000 to change it. I said we should use the funding for other projects. We all got to push buttons on the desk for whether we agreed or disagreed. We also got to meet so many people. Being on the youth committee has taught me leadership skills and how to communicate better with people.”
Maddie Zappe, a junior at Plant City High School: “I’ve always wanted to do something in government but didn’t think it was possible. Ashley Moody was so personable and she put it in my mind that I shouldn’t let anything stop me. One day me or someone in my group can be in her shoes.”
Khalid Polk, a junior at Armwood High School: “One thing that stood out to me was in the House of Representatives you saw the messiness of politics and how legislators disagree and argue but still get things done. In society we just see the arguing and think nothing’s getting done but the arguing gets them to a place where they need to be and affect change. While there we saw two bills pass. I want to be a lawyer and when we went to the Old Capitol and saw photos of former attorney generals there have been no black attorney generals. Ashley Moody is the second woman attorney general and she’s from Plant City. If she can do it, then maybe there’s a chance that one day in the future I could reach that goal. This trip definitely made an impact on me.”
