Y We Advocate

Taral Patel, a Texas native, has worked in nearly every level of government. He started his career in the Texas legislature, became the chief of staff for Fort Bend County in Texas, and now works in the White House Liaison Office. In this episode, we discuss organizing as a high school student, why effective county governments are critical, and, of course, Joe Biden’s love of ice cream.

Amanda Ussak is a Civic Designer for Montgomery County, Maryland. Amanda is a fellow alumni of the YMCA CE programs and part of the alumni staff for the Y’s High School Model UN conference. She previously served as the director of international programs at Catholics for Choice, was a Fulbright Scholar in Malaysia and worked for the U.S. State Department. In this episode, we discuss how to improve local government through human-centred design and ways to create opportunities for yourself as a young person.

Mark Galey is a conservative grassroots organizer based in New Jersey. Mark is a fellow alumni of the YMCA CE programs and part of the alumni staff for the Y’s middle school Model UN program. He has worked on a variety of Republican races including Scott Wagner’s (R) race for Pennsylvania Governor in 2018 and more recently on Adam Elias' (R) bid for NJ State Senate in 2021. He currently works for the Republican National Committee. In this episode, we discuss what it means to be a conservative grassroots organizer, being conservative as a young person of color and how we can overcome polarization in America.

Rene Meija Jr. and Vanessa Cid are community organizers for the progressive grassroots movement called For the Many based in New York. Rene currently serves as the organization's Newburgh Organizer and Vanessa as the Orange County Organizer. In this episode, we discuss what it means to be a grassroots organizer, how young people can get involved in this work, and Vanessa and Rene's personal stories on how they got involved with For the Many.

Nicholas LaBelle is a fellow alumni of the CE programs and North Hunterdon High School. This past year, Nick became the Democratic nominee for New Jersey's Legislative District 23 General Assembly seat. Although Nick lost the general election this past November, we were incredibly inspired by his campaign and commitment to public service. This interview took place on 7/26/2021 after Nick won the primary election and before the general election. During this interview, we also discuss Nick's time as Rutgers student body president during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Special thank you to Nick and his team for helping organize this interview during his busy campaign schedule.

Music by Team Spirit by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Curtis Myers is the founder and president of Aspire, a youth development organization based out of New Jersey. Curtis also served as the former YMCA civic engagement director and program director of the Model UN conference. In this episode, we discuss what makes the YMCA civic engagement programs so impactful for participants and how to make an impact by finding out what your "why" is. 

Hi there! Welcome to Y We Advocate –a podcast launched by two YMCA Civic Engagement (CE) alumni, Kellie & Brahvan, to inspire students and young adults to get more involved in local and state politics. Over the next few weeks, we will be talking to YMCA CE alumni and friends, who are change-makers in all levels of government and society. Through this, we hope our conversations empower you to be the change within your own communities. Be sure to tune in next Monday, November 22nd, 2021, for our first episode with Curtis Myers, founder & president of Aspire.

Special thanks to the YMCA MUN High School officers who helped produce, edit and market this podcast, and the staff & volunteers at the YMCA of Philadelphia. 

Music by Team Spirit by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com