Six Pine Bush High School students attended the annual Youth in Government County Service Day in April. This is a day where students from all the participating districts have the opportunity to shadow local politicians and agencies that help keep the county functioning.

Some of the students that went were the winning candidates from the Steering Convention for the positions they shadowed (indicated by the asterisk). The following students attended with the offices they shadowed:

• Arianna Birch -County Court Judge Brown*
• Ronny Mazza – County Executive*
• Chloe Rosa – Sheriff Office*
• Mason Cichon – Mock Legislative session on enhancing criminal liability for parents or guardians who procure and/or facilitate access to firearms by minors, resulting in intentional homicide
• Kayla De Winter – Family Court Judge Hendry
• Christine Zeblin – Emergency Services

 

 

After this experience, the students were treated to  lunch at The Barn in Middletown. The guest speakers for the event were Melanie Lofaro, Orange-Ulster BOCES assistant director of Instructional Support Services, Rachel Wilson, executive director of the Orange County Youth Bureau, and Kerri Stroka, Orange-Ulster BOCES deputy superintendent.

 

 

These speakers emphasized how the youth of today will be the future of tomorrow. The speakers praised the youth in the room for their interest, enthusiasm, and participation in this extraordinary day.

 

Our PBHS students certainly looked at it the same way. Ronny Mazza said his experience with the county executive’s office was great. “We had great conversations,” said Ronny. Politics may be in his future. “To me, I do have something in me that lean toward helping other people,” he added.

 

Mason Cichon, who spent the day in the legislature discussing proposed legislation to prevent school shootings, said there have been 1,435 school shootings from 1999 to 2023. “We were there to help prevent this, to hold parents more accountable for them,” Mason said. They came up with good legislation, he added, noting he has political figures in his own family and he may also go that route. “People need a voice,” Mason said. “I listen to people.”

 

 

Chloe Rosa said she enjoyed her time in the sheriff’s department. She got to ride along with officers who explained the equipment in the vehicles and also focused on the K9 program. She learned about a bike unit in the area as well. It was a great experience for her since she wants to go into civic service.
This annual event was sponsored by OU BOCES and Orange County Youth Bureau.

“It was so cool listening to the students talk about their day and how much they enjoyed it on the bus ride home,” said Charlene Webster, advisor to the PBHS Youth in Government. “This program is so rewarding,” said Mrs. Webster, the advisor to the organization. “The groups of students that join Youth in Government in our high school keeps growing every year – we are at 48 members – and I am very proud of them and how they want to change the world.”