On Saturday, August 6th, Youth4AM celebrated the completion of our fourth annual SHSAT and Public Speaking Camp with over 200 parents, students, and esteemed speakers, including the following:
Edward Braunstein, New York State Assemblyman representing the 26th Assembly District in Queens, New York.
“I just want to congratulate all the graduates of this program today on finishing this leadership course and I will be remiss if I don’t provide a piece of advice. That little piece of advice is sometimes taking on challenges that make you nervous. For me, you don’t realize what you’re good at if you don’t try. It’s important not to be afraid of failure and try.”
Linda Lee, City councilmember of New York City’s 23rd City Council district
“Hi, my name is Linda Lee, City Councilmember for the 23rd district out here in eastern Queens. I just wanted to congratulate you and … to thank Youth4AM. We need more of these programs for sure. And as an Asian American myself, I take great pride in being celebrated and recognized. So thank you so much Youth4AM for having this youth program, and we continue to look forward to hearing your successes. Thank you so much.”
John Liu, New York State senator since 2019
“I just want to say that there are lots of issues facing our community and you’re front and center in all of our efforts… I also want to take this opportunity to encourage young people to think about completing high school or college as it may be and going on the next step in their educational career as otherwise but it’s important to remember that being part of a community… means always looking to see how you can give back… We need that more than ever with years of a global pandemic and we all understand how much anti-Asian hate has increased so it’s all about responsibilities, and you’re responsible to get back and make our community voices heard.”
Toby Stavisky, New York State Senator, representing the 16th district since 1999
“By background, I am a former high school teacher so I understand how important the program is both completing the SHSAT and leadership question portion. You receive training not just in the subject matter in how to pass the exam but also in leadership skills. Civic involvement and civic engagement are so important and we’re always looking for new faces of young people to become active in the community and to volunteer your services while they’re going to school so I congratulate you on completing this program, and I wish everybody a successful college application.”
Grace Meng, U.S. representative for New York’s 6th congressional district since 2013
“I hope that you guys make the most of this opportunity… I wanted to be here to thank all of our volunteers for the tremendous service that you are doing for our city, for the Asian American community, and for our future leaders. I know that you could be easily doing other things that might seem more fun, but you’ve decided to dedicate your time and energy to this very noble cause to make sure that every student here in New York City has an equal opportunity as others to attend the best schools here in the city.”
Sandra Ung, New York City Council member for the 20th district
“I know that a part of your program is to talk about civic engagement and I think that is so important as you are going forward in your career, and I know all of you guys will do great… So as you go on your careers… I hope you will always remember the community you come from…the local community that supported you, to always think about ways you can give back… whether that be running for office, joining your community board, or joining a civic organization. Or simply helping out your fellow Asian Americans.”
All speakers praised the hardworking students for rigorously preparing for the SHSAT and for using their voices to educate others about social issues, like NYC spending vs results in different education districts.
The ceremony concluded with testimonies from students and from TAs and Leadership Team members who helped run the program. You can view the testimony videos here.
Youth4AM would like to thank everyone for their support of our program and wish for the best of luck for the 2022 SHSAT!
