The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About4.19 Appointments to the Youth Advisory Committee and Student Representative to theSTAFF REPORT CITY COUNCIL Page 1 of 3 Agenda Item 4.19 DATE:June 7, 2022 TO:Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM:Linda Smith, City Manager SUBJECT:Appointments to the Youth Advisory Committee and Student Representative to the Parks and Community Services CommissionPreparedby:Liz Elliott,Recreation Supervisor EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:The City Council will consider confirmation of the Mayor's appointments of three middle school and 10 high school youths, along with three alternates, to the Youth Advisory Committee for the term of June 1, 2022,through May 31, 2023. The City Council will also consider confirmation of the Mayor's appointment of Advaith Anoop Krishna as the Student Representative to the Parks and Community Services Commission for the term of July 1, 2022,to June 30, 2023. STAFF RECOMMENDATION:Confirm the Mayor’s appointments to the Youth Advisory Committee and the Student Representative to the Parks and Community Services Commission for the 2022-2023 term. FINANCIAL IMPACT:None. DESCRIPTION:Youth Advisory Committee (YAC)AppointmentsThe term of office for the current YAC expires on May 31, 2022. During the months of February and March 2022, recruitment efforts took place to encourage middle school and high school students to apply for appointments for the upcoming term of office. The openings were advertised through a press release, emails to the principals at local middle and high schools, PeachJar, social media,and the City’s website.Per the Bylaws and Rules of Procedure, the YAC includes a minimum of nine and a maximum of 13 youth members, plus three alternates. At least three must be from middle school and six from high school. If there are insufficient applications to meet the middle school to high school ratio, the Mayor may make appointments from any of the grade levels. 582 Page 2 of 3 With the confirmation of the City Council, the Mayor appoints the youth members and alternates. Twenty-eight applications were received for the YAC: 24 high school students and four middle school students. Mayor Hernandez recommends the appointment of the following middle and high school students to the YAC:Members Grade in 2022-23 SchoolKavin Berry 8th Wells Middle SchoolNeel Karur Parekh 8th Fallon Middle SchoolIshita Prasad 8th Wells Middle SchoolMahidhara Sudeendra 9th Dublin High SchoolChloe Brandt 9th Dublin High SchoolYma Santos 9th Dublin High SchoolAakrishtMehra10thDublin High SchoolEsha Shenoy 11th Dublin High SchoolIrene Chi 11th Dublin High SchoolAnika Kolan 11th Dublin High SchoolKrittika Senthilkumar 12th Dublin High SchoolBrandon Maskey 12th Dublin High SchoolHarsh Gupta 12th Dublin High SchoolThe Mayor also recommends the following alternates:Name Grade in 2021-22 SchoolAlternate #1 Gabrielle Gazman 9th Dublin High SchoolAlternate #2 Tanish Zutshi 10th Dublin High SchoolAlternate #3 Braden Ou 11th Quarry Lane SchoolStudent Representative to the Parks and Community Services CommissionThe current term of the Student Representative to the Parks and Community Services Commission expires on June 30, 2022. During the months of February and March 2022, recruitment effortsencouraged high school students to apply for the position for the upcoming term of office. Twoapplications were received by the deadline.Mayor Hernandez recommends the appointment of Advaith Anoop Krishna as the Student Representative to the Parks and Community Services Commission for the term commencing July 1, 2022, and expiring June 30, 2023. Advaith Anoop Krishna will be a Junior at Dublin High School. STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:None. NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH:The City Council Agenda was posted, and a copy of the Staff Report was sent to the applicants being considered for appointment. 583 Page 3 of 3 ATTACHMENTS: 1)Youth Advisory Committee 2022-23 Applications 2)Parks and Community Services Commission 2022-23 Student Representative Applications 584 3/29/22, 9:59 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4811 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4811 2/3 First Name* Kavin Last Name* Berry Street Address* City* Dublin State* CA Zip* 94568 Email Address* Phone Number* What school will you attend in the 2022-2023 school year?* Wells Middle School What grade will you be in during the 2022-2023 school year?* 8 1. Why do you want to become a member of the City of Dublin Youth Advisory Committee (YAC)?* I want to volunteer for my city and learn leadership qualities. I have been part of YAC this year 2021-22 and have been learning a lot. This opportunity has broadened my horizon and I am able to understand the challenges and the issues faced by the city. I appreciate our group where we brainstorm ideas and come up with informed decisions. If given a chance again I will definitely improve my skills and gain experience. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 2.What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* I am an honest and trustworthy person. I am willing to learn and am a good listener. I like to help out and volunteer in the community. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) Attachment 1 585 586 587 588 589 3/29/22, 11:03 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4887 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4887 4/4 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* I am involved with CJSF, a nationwide scholarship program at school. Regularly we plan fundraisers and other activities to raise money for our school or to donate to other organizations. To do these fundraisers we work with other companies. For example, most recently we made a plan with Panda Express, and anyone who bought from them and used a code, CJSF was making money to help donate to other organizations. Additionally, when we have community events (splatter, farmers markets, and St. Patrick’s day ), I can volunteer to be In the City Booth, use flyers to raise awareness, and encourage other teens to participate. We can also spread the message through podcasts, social media, and school events. . We can collaborate with boy scouts, because they are great at working on community projects. Finally, we can work with the library and its many resources that are freely available. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* I have recently attended the YAC Youth Grant Application presentation. 5 different clubs presented to the YAC for youth grants for a club they were running. The date of the meeting was in the third week of November, and I was interested in all of the presentations. It was interesting to listen to all of the innovative projects. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 7. Provide at least one signed letter of recommendation from a non-family member (i.e. employer, counselor, teacher, coach, etc.). The letter of recommendation should be submitted with the application and must be received by the application deadline; otherwise, the application will be incomplete. 8. A formal interview process for selected applicants may take place. Upload Letter of Recommendation (required).* NeelKP Letter March 2022 (1).pdf Upload 2nd Letter of Recommendation (optional) Letter.pdf Application materials must be submitted via this online application form. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2022. Applications or letters of recommendation will not be accepted after the deadline. 590 March 18th 2022 To Whomever It May Concern: It is with great pleasure that I write this letter to recommend Neel Karurparekh for membership in The Youth Advisory Committee of Dublin. I have known Neel since August 2021 as a student in my Science class at Fallon Middle School. He is an exceptionally bright student who is in the top 5% of all my students. Academically, he is a very strong student who can work very well independently as well as in a team setting. Neel is an exceptional and highly motivated student and wears a lot of feathers in his cap. He has been an active leader of a club called Gardeners of the Galaxy (grows and distributes microgreen) that provides community services to schools in the neighborhood. As part of this club, he manages communication, finance, and delivery schedules for the club and has learned to recognize the needs of our community better through his experiences. In order to expand the impact of their club and reach larger groups in need, Neel has been communicating with a non-profit organization called Culinary Angles (they give food to cancer patients) and this speaks to his collaboration skills and innovative thinking. Neel is also currently part of CJSF, a scholarship club that fosters high standards of scholarship, service, and citizenship in the middle grades. He has also led his Destination Imagination team for 5 years all the way to global finals, and achieved 10th place in the competition. With all the experience, knowledge and, most importantly, enthusiasm he has to be a positive member of the community, Neel is capable of making informed decisions that will benefit the city and will be a good asset to this program. In conclusion, I highly recommend Neel Karurparekh for the position of a member in The Youth Advisory Committee. I am confident that he would make an excellent addition to the Committee. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about Neel’s qualifications for this position. Sincerely, Shobana Reddy 7th grade Science Teacher Fallon Middle School 591 Michelle Elissiry Fallon Middle School 3601 Kohnen Way Dublin, CA 94568 March 23, 2022 To Whom it May Concern, I am writing this letter to recommend Neel KarurParekh to the Youth Advisory Committee for the City of Dublin. Neel has been my student for a year, and I have found him to be a sincere and knowledgeable student. He is hardworking and never hesitates to volunteer input for discussions, while positively listening to others ideas as well. Neel is a well-rounded student who is always seeking clarification in areas where he can improve, while striving for optimum success. Neel has proven to be a leader in and out of the school environment. At Fallon Neel is a member of our California Junior Scholarship Federation, and assists in planning and coordinating the activities they sponsor. He also participates in Destination Imagination, which challenges students to work together in teams to solve open-ended STEAM challenges designed to teach the creative process. Additionally, Neel is involved with competitive speech and debate through a program called Bridge, where he participates in congressional debate. This will assist in his knowledge of topics as he works with the Youth Advisory Committee, because he is aware of the process of the general working of the government and community works. Outside of school Neel is an active leader in Gardeners of the Galaxy, a club that grows and distributes microgreen to local high schools in need. He assists in managing communication, finance, and scheduling, along with the actual gardening. Neel has recently contacted a non-profit that gives food to cancer patients, Culinary Angels, and is working to see how his club can work with their agency to increase the impact together. Neel also packs food as part of Kids Against Hunger, a non-profit organization that donates to countries in need, and recently helped pack over 15,000 meals that were sent to Ukraine. On top of all of these amazing things Neel is doing, he still finds time to play the violin, play ping pong, and learn Spanish. Neel is indeed a very well rounded young man that I feel would be a strong addition to the Youth Advisory Committee. Sincerely, Michell Elissir Michelle Elissiry 592 593 3/29/22, 2:41 PM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4892 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4892 3/5 1. Why do you want to become a member of the City of Dublin Youth Advisory Committee (YAC)?* a. I want to become a part of the City of Dublin Youth Advisory committee because I like helping, planning, and volunteering for different activities and this will allow me to plan the events that happen in Dublin. Some things I look forward to getting involved in are the Saint Patrick’s Day parade, the Splatter festival, and helping out the seniors. b. I am very creative and am good at arts and crafts. I also started a cake baking business with my friends, during the pandemic, which allowed me to be involved in activities like planning the ingredients, surveying the prices, defining the prices, making marketing brochures, business cards, and carrying out the marketing. This allowed me to learn how to organize and execute programs, which will be useful in my role as a member of the City of Dublin, Youth Advisory Committee. c. I also want to be in the YAC because I want to spread positivity, take on leadership, and I want to help my community. Adding on, the YAC is a great opportunity to learn about my city Dublin, and it can help me do well in high school. d. Finally, it will allow me to understand the Dublin City activities better and I will be able to get more friends and classmates involved in the advancement of the City of Dublin. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* a. I think I will be a strong candidate for the Youth Advisory committee because I am organized, I can plan well, I like volunteering and helping others, and I am good at communication. b. Planning things is extremely important to do anything such as volunteering, helping out, and doing any activities. I am great at planning and I always plan according to what we are going to do. c. Volunteering is an important skill because most of the stuff we will do in the YAC is volunteering. I love helping others and volunteering is a very good skill I have. d. I am a great leader and communicator because whenever I have an idea, I take the lead and use that idea, I am also very friendly and approachable. I like taking input from others and incorporating their ideas into the activities I undertake. e. I am a good student and have received a Principal’s honor roll in each of my quarters in the 6th Grade and expect to get a Principal’s honor roll in most of my 7th grade too. f. I am also learning computer programming, which may be useful in my work as a committee member of the YAC. g. I am very disciplined and complete all my work on time or before time. While many students gave up, I achieved my Taekwondo Black belt during the pandemic and continue to pursue Taekwondo every week, even when there are just 4 students in my class. h. I was recently offered a part time job in Summer, teaching in a pre-school. I had taken some classes with this teacher over a couple of years back. She reached out to my mom to ask if I could work with her for 3 weeks in Summer as she found I was very dedicated, disciplined and organized. So I believe I have various skills which will allow me to excel in my role as a member of YAC. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 594 3/29/22, 2:41 PM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4892 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4892 4/5 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* a. One of the main issues Dublin’s Teens are dealing with is bullying, especially cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is one main problem because nowadays, almost every teen has a phone or electronics and many people bully by text or messages on the phone. b. Another issue is anxiety or depression. There are different types, like social, where teens might be afraid to socialize or have a large fear of something. One main cause is stress from school because the school gives a lot of homework and some teens may be stressed from the amount of difficulty of the homework. c. Adding on, some problems might be related to health. With almost all teens having a phone, they spend most of their time on a screen instead of going outdoors and exercising. Many teenagers also eat a lot of junk food, not knowing how bad it can be for their health. d. Another issue that has become more common is online games / video games. Lots of teens and younger people have become addicted to games spending more than 2-3 hours of their time everyday playing games. This can affect the teens' other day to day activities as well as teens will have less and less time for social interactions and outdoor games. YAC can help by bringing more awareness about these issues in teens using ways that teens will relate with. For example text messages linked to funny YouTube videos. This will capture the teens attention and provide knowledge to them. YAC can also conduct some workshops to bring awareness about the issues and what teens can do to overcome them. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* I am participating in Volleyball at school, school band, taekwondo, as well as learning computer programming. I complete all my tasks diligently and on time. Volleyball is coming to an end next week. With the activities that I am participating in today or expect to participate in in the future, I will be able to devote adequate time each month, for YAC meetings and activities. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* a. Planning fun and exciting events are a useful way to get teens involved in the community. I would set up clubs that will interest teenagers, environmental clean-ups, and charity drives. All these activities are a great way to teach teenagers about caring for people and the environment. b. Events like environmental cleanup are activities that can get teens, and other people of all ages involved. Environmental clean-ups can teach teens about keeping our world clean, about how trash lying around can harm our environment, and how to preserve nature. c. Charity drives can help teens understand about helping people in need, and how to donate. It could teach them to not be greedy and to be happy with what they have because many people in the world have less than them. d. Fun Clubs like art clubs, chess clubs, video game clubs, and sports clubs are some things that will both be exciting and will interest teens. They can get involved in the community while having fun and learning new things. e. One other thing is about making the teens aware of the different teen events and city-sponsored activities that are happening in our city. Many teens are not even aware of these events and do not participate in these events. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 595 596 597 598 3/29/22, 10:15 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4846 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4846 3/4 1. Why do you want to become a member of the City of Dublin Youth Advisory Committee (YAC)?* I want to become a member of the City of Dublin Youth Advisory Committee, because I love giving back to my community and working with people, I love using my creativity and innovative thinking, and I have been on the Youth Advisory Committee for the 2021-2022 term. I volunteered as part of the Dublin Lead, for the summer of 2021, at the Dublin Wave Waterpark. I really enjoyed my experience there, meeting new people, and having fun at the same time. Whenever there is a situation at hand, I can come up with a logical, yet uncommon approach to a solution, and most of the time it ends up working out the way everyone wants it to. I was on the Youth Advisory Committee for the 21-22 term. There, I was on all three Ad-Hoc committees of the Youth Mental Health Forum, the upcoming Dublin Benefit Concert, and the Hackathon set in May. I also volunteered at the St. Patrick's day event, at the Committee's booth. At the Youth Mental Health forum, I helped make the questionnaire for the panelists, and invited one person to join the panel. The Youth Mental Health forum went really well. Through these experiences, I got to meet very exciting new people, and I really enjoyed working with the youth there. I learnt a lot from working with these people. I really enjoy doing new things, and put my best foot forward in everything. I participated in this year's science fair, and my project was nominated to go to the Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair(ACSEF). My project was on composting, and how it was beneficial to the environment. Through this project, I not only learnt about composting, but also learnt about how we can take care of our environment, and the people around us. I enjoyed doing a project like that, because it would help to improve the community around me. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* Skills I possess that I believe would make me a strong candidate for the YAC, are my creativity, my cooperation, and my positivity. Since finding a solution when there is a dilemma often includes trade-offs, most of the time I can find the best possible solution while also keeping in mind all the requirements. I cooperate very well with other people. I always listen to what everyone has to say, make sure everyone has participated, and that not one person is dominating the whole conversation. I also make sure to see where I should assert dominance in the conversation though. I always stay positive, even when things aren't going the way I want it to. Regardless of the situation, I always try encouraging everyone, and add a humorous joke every now and then to brighten up the mood. I am also currently a Logistics Officer in the Cottonwood Creek School Music Department's Executive Leadership team, in which I plan and carry out big events. I planned out the Winter Concert for CCS with minimal help from others, except for the band director Jasper Tran, who oversaw the planning and execution of the concert. I planned out social distancing techniques, while also making sure there was enough audience seating available for everyone who wanted to come watch. I am also carrying out logistics for our upcoming Disneyland/Anaheim 5 day trip. I am a bus leader, and also helped to track COVID testing, and Vaccination Card Proof. I believe that my ability to carry out logistics would make me a strong candidate for the YAC, as planning out some of the events that the YAC puts on requires a lot of logistics to make sure everything falls together. These four qualities are ones that I believe would be very important to the YAC. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* One issue that's important to me, that I want to address in next year's term, is teens' mental health. A lot of my friends, and I myself, have experienced a lot of stress over things like the workload that we have, and how we deal with it. Not only is it stress, but also most of us are going to sleep at 11, and finding ourselves rarely over 7 hours of sleep. This is one of the biggest issues that youth that I know have, stress and sleep loss from an increased work load, and I know that it will only get worse in high school. I was part of the Ad-Hoc committee for the Youth Mental Health Forum in 2021, and it went really well. I believe that we should do that event again, and seek a bigger audience. That's why this is something I want to address in next year's committee, as this will help us find coping strategies for teens. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 599 3/29/22, 10:15 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4846 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4846 4/4 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* During the 2022-2023 school year, I will be involved in extracurricular coding, singing, math, and probably volleyball too. I will be able to devote plenty of time each month for YAC meetings and activities. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* I would get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities by showing them what the event is, how it is beneficial to them, and also how it is beneficial to the community around them. Often, teens don't want to go to events because they believe they will be the only person there, however if I can get them involved one by one, they will all want to go together to participate in these events. I am very persuasive, and can easily support my point of view or claim. I make sure to be someone that people can rely on. One of my classmates saw me in a picture on the YAC application page, and thought to apply for the YAC. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* Yes, I was on the YAC for the 2021-2022 term, and an item I was interested in was the Dublin Youth Mental Health Forum. I was on its Ad-Hoc committee, and I thought it went extremely well. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 7. Provide at least one signed letter of recommendation from a non-family member (i.e. employer, counselor, teacher, coach, etc.). The letter of recommendation should be submitted with the application and must be received by the application deadline; otherwise, the application will be incomplete. 8. A formal interview process for selected applicants may take place. Upload Letter of Recommendation (required).* Mahi Letter of Rec CCS Letterhead - Sargent.pdf Upload 2nd Letter of Recommendation (optional) Mahidhara_Sudeendra.pdf Application materials must be submitted via this online application form. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2022. Applications or letters of recommendation will not be accepted after the deadline. 600 COTTONWOOD CREEK SCHOOL DUBLIN UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Lorianne R. Ventura, Ed.D. Principal Wednesday 9 March 2022 To Whom It May Concern: This letter is intended to alert you to the talents of a bright, dedicated, and responsible young man. To provide context for this reference, I’ve taught secondary English in the public school system for over 20 years. I have had the pleasure of instructing Mahidhara (Mahi) Sudeendra for the past 7 months at Cottonwood Creek School. The 4 C’s (Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat) are the characteristics one looks for when selecting a diamond; the best consist of the highest of these qualities. These gems are rare and incredibly expensive. Mahi possesses the 4 C’s of an exceptional individual, Collaborative, Critical-thinker, Character and Compassionate. I consider it a privilege to recommend Mahi for the 2022-2023 City of Dublin Youth Advisory Committee. Dependable, motivated, caring, respected and well-liked by his peers and teachers are just a few of the many descriptors of Mahi. Another attribute is being a team player, but knowing when to assert himself if needed. This is exemplified through his participation in leadership class last year, where he had the opportunity to attend conferences and facilitate school spirit events in the virtual learning world. This year Mahi volunteered to be the CCS Music Department Logistics Manager. He was responsible for coordinating the entire CCS Winter Concert. Other strong points are the level of maturity Mahi exhibits when taking constructive criticism and advocating for himself. If he needs to revise a task or doesn’t understand a concept, he asks for clarification. He is confident, without being prideful; nor is he afraid to ask for support when tackling a new skill. He understands that growth happens through trial and error. Mahi appreciates a challenge. So as to broaden his learning, he willingly went out of his comfort zone. This is why for his 8th grade year, he enrolled in two high school level courses, Spanish and Advanced Algebra, as well as a Zero period elective, Symphonic Band. Mahi has played clarinet for the past four years. Furthermore, he participated in this year’s DUSD science fair. His composting project earned him an entry at the county level. In addition to his engagement in academia, Mahi is currently a member of Dublin’s Youth Advisory Committee. He participated in the ad-hoc Youth Mental Health Forum, and is presently serving on both the Benefit Concert and Hackathon sub-committees. These are just a few testaments to his desire for self-improvement and his commitment to excellence to better himself and our community. Mahi’s goal for the Youth Advisory Committee, if he were to be chosen, is to address teens’ mental health problems, by developing coping strategies for young people. It is evident that Mahi keeps his priorities in order. Thus, I can say unequivocally that Mahidhara Sudeendra should be honored with a position on the 2022-2023 Dublin Youth Advisory Committee. Mahi’s internal drive to contribute to his community, in conjunction with his educational and social aptitudes would make him an outstanding representative for the city of Dublin. Sincerely, Lauri K. Sargen Laurie K. Sargent English Teacher 2400 Central Parkway • Dublin • California 94568 • (925) 833-3333 • Fax (925) 833-3711 601 602 603 3/29/22, 2:37 PM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4890 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4890 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* I am a very very outspoken person. I enjoy public speaking and love discussing ideas with people who have different perspectives. Compromise is one of the skills I am working on, but I have been getting a lot better over the past school year, and have learned to admit my faults. I am also a very organized person. I plan ahead and am very thorough in my thought process, diligently thinking through every action. I am very responsible and manage my time well, making sure to delegate my time and enthusiasm to the things in my life that I find important. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* I know I, personally, have struggled with bullying and mental health. This issue among teens has already been talked about within the Committee, but I think it is such a large and overarching topic, that it can be addressed again. The Mental Health Forum was a great starting point, but connecting with more teens, possibly in a school setting, may be beneficial. Also, sexual harrasment is something I and many of my peers face, even in a middle school setting. I think this is a very pressing issue that needs to be addressed at some level. I really don’t want youth to be given lectures about these things, but rather, to be included in discussions and activities to bring awareness. Teens don’t want to be talked at. They want their voices heard as well. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* I am currently involved in my school’s Leadership program. We plan and create events for the school such as dances, rallies, and fundraisers. I am also a part of a musical theater company. Both of these do take time from my schedule, but I am very organized and I have always been able to set aside time for important things. YAC is a very large responsibility, but one I will take wholeheartedly. So, in summary, yes, I will be able to devote my time to meetings and activities. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* I believe the Youth Advisory Committee has a social media page, which is a smart marketing strategy that my school’s leadership class has done before. I think it would be great to promote that page more. In my school, we had posters and flyers up in a lot of spots that students frequently crossed. This led to students eventually recognizing the page and following it. The YAC social media page can, and should, be seen as a source for ways to stay informed about what events are happening in our city. If students see it as a fun page to check regularly, we can have greater participation in events, which subsequently betters our community. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* Unfortunately, I have not attended any meetings recently. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 604 3/29/22, 2:37 PM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4890 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4890 4/4 7. Provide at least one signed letter of recommendation from a non-family member (i.e. employer, counselor, teacher, coach, etc.). The letter of recommendation should be submitted with the application and must be received by the application deadline; otherwise, the application will be incomplete. 8. A formal interview process for selected applicants may take place. Upload Letter of Recommendation (required).* Chloe Brandt LOR.pdf Upload 2nd Letter of Recommendation (optional) Chloe Brandt Letter of Recommendation.pdf Application materials must be submitted via this online application form. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2022. Applications or letters of recommendation will not be accepted after the deadline. 605 March 2022 Dear the Dublin’s Youth Advisory Committee: I have taught Chloe Brandt for all 3 of her Middle School years, one year in Physical Education, and 2 years in the Leadership program. She would be a wonderful addition to your Committee. Chloe is an intelligent young woman with a strong passion for being a leader. She is organized, motivated, and very mature for her age. She is very well-spoken and she feels comfortable speaking in front of small and large groups. Her classmates respect her and look up to her to get things done or to have good ideas. With a drive to make a positive difference in our school community, she volunteers her time when help is needed. She is able to balance many responsibilities and is always very reliable. She has an inner strength and will stand up for what is right in the world and for how people are being treated. Chloe has also been the Wells Middle School Student Body President this year. I have seen her take this role seriously, and she is striving to be the best role model possible to all of our students here. This position definitely suits her and it is a joy to see her shine in it. In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend Chloe Brandt for a position on the Committee. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me at Respectfully, Wells Middle School Leadership Advisor Physical Education Teacher 606 To the Individuals Responsible for the City of Dublin Youth Advisory Committee Appointments, I am extremely pleased to recommend Chloe Brandt for consideration on the City of Dublin Youth Advisory Committee. I have known Chloe for most of her life – since she was a toddler – as a close friend of her family. During this time, I have had the pleasure of witnessing Chloe grow into a kind and caring young person who strongly believes in community service and civic engagement. When I asked Chloe about taking on this role, in addition to her other commitments and her dedication to scholastic excellence, she spoke of wanting to represent Dublin youth and of being a catalyst for positive change in the community. She cares deeply about issues affecting Dublin today, such as bullying and mental health awareness, and hopes to bring focus to these issues on a larger scale on YAC. Chloe has worked to represent her peers in a variety of ways through the Dublin school system, including Student Council and Leadership class. She is an engaged and enthusiastic participant in this service and has remained dedicated to her work over several years. Chloe sees this appointment as an opportunity to serve the broader Dublin community – not only to represent Dublin youth, but also to help young people in Dublin recognize the number of pathways for community engagement available to them. As someone who has devoted my life to public service, I know the dedication and initiative necessary for a selected representative to succeed in their role throughout their term. I’ve witnessed Chloe’s dedication and initiative firsthand. When I was looking for a primary babysitter for my young family, I inquired into Chloe’s interest for the position. She proactively acquired first aid and CPR certification – as well as completion of a baby-sitting course – then scheduled an initial interview with myself and my partner, where she asked a series of thorough and thought-provoking questions that left me confident we were entrusting our children’s care to a responsible young person. In the months that have followed she has reaffirmed that conclusion, bringing a combination of responsibility and enthusiasm that make her a favorite of both the adults and the children of the house. I can think of no one more worthy, or better suited, to fill this position. I strongly encourage you to consider appointing Chloe to the Youth Advisory Committee, where she can continue to utilize her passion for service on behalf of the Dublin community. Sincerely, Erin Steffen Dublin Resident 607 608 3/30/22, 8:03 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4900 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4900 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* Skills I possess that would make me a strong candidate for the YAC are organizing, planning events, and taking up leadership positions. I have been doing the Leadership program offered by Wells Middle School for 7th and 8th grade, and I even did student council during elementary school. I plan to continue being involved in Leadership at the high school. Throughout the years, I’ve been able to learn how to plan and execute events for these programs with success. I believe I can utilize these skills to make me a strong candidate for the YAC. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* I believe an issue teens in Dublin are currently dealing with is a lack of socialization out of school hours and activities. Due to the recent pandemic, it was difficult for teens to hang out with their peers, and events in Dublin were more limited. I think the YAC could address this issue by holding various events similar to the St. Patrick’s Festival. I thought the outcome of the festival was extremely successful since I saw a lot of participation from my classmates and many people wanted to go. An additional contributor to the event’s success was due to its in-person component. So, an event that requires and focuses on in- person student participation like this would certainly improve this issue. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* For the 2022-2023 school year, I will be involved in Dublin High’s Leadership program. I hope to join some clubs as well to be active within the school’s community. Outside of school, I will be doing karate around two times a week. However, I will still be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* I would get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities by utilizing my social media platforms to promote these events. Apps such as Instagram make it easy to inform others about these things. They would also be able to forward the details to their friends and classmates. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* No, I have not been able to attend a YAC meeting recently. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 7. Provide at least one signed letter of recommendation from a non-family member (i.e. employer, counselor, teacher, coach, etc.). The letter of recommendation should be submitted with the application and must be received by the application deadline; otherwise, the application will be incomplete. 609 610 611 612 3/30/22, 8:10 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4903 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4903 3/7 1. Why do you want to become a member of the City of Dublin Youth Advisory Committee (YAC)?* I want to become a member of the City of Dublin’s Youth Advisory Committee because this is a platform that represents the teen voices within Dublin. Primarily, the opinions of teenagers aren’t considered when it comes to deciding upon important issues or problems within a city. However, the City of Dublin’s Youth Advisory Committee provides the unique opportunity for the voices of teenagers within Dublin to be heard and represented. I want to become a member of the Youth Advisory Committee for three primary reasons which revolve around advocating, serving, and driving youth civic engagement. The Youth Advisory Committee provides a platform for issues within Dublin's community to be resolved by a group of teenagers. Along with the preeminent ability to incorporate the voices of the Youth within the decisions made by the city, this platform also gives its members the chance to represent and advocate for different issues that may occur. As a member of the Youth Advisory Committee, you would have the special opportunity to bring attention to the problems that occur within society, while retaining the ability to alleviate the problems faced at a city-wide level. This unique and special opportunity offered to the members of the Youth Advisory Committee drives my interest in becoming a member of this committee. By becoming a member, I would have the ability to represent and address the issues faced by the communities and the people that I would represent at a city-wide level. On top of the ability to represent the people within my community, I would have the opportunity to serve the community of Dublin. I believe that giving back to your community is an essential part of being a good citizen, which also influences a large number of the activities that I pursue outside of my academic life. For example, I created an organization called Elderly Care Everywhere, which was an organization that helped to alleviate loneliness and isolation for senior citizens within our community. This organization gave me the experience and the chance to give back to a specific part of my community, however, the Youth Advisory Committee presents the opportunity of taking this a step further. By being a part of the Youth Advisory Committee, you give back to the community and the people of Dublin, which is a special opportunity that contributes to my interest in becoming a member for the Youth Advisory Committee. The final piece that influences my interest within the Youth Advisory Committee is civic engagement from teens in Dublin. As I stated earlier, a majority of cities don’t offer the ability for teens to have a role within the government of a city. However, the city of Dublin provides the unique opportunity to boost teen civic engagement within the city's government. On top of teens having the chance to influence the decisions made at a city-wide level, they also have the ability to drive youth civic engagement. One essential fact that drives my interest in becoming a member within this committee is teens' influence. This means that the members who are elected onto the Youth Advisory Committee can influence their peers and drive youth civic engagement within the city of Dublin. By becoming a member of this committee, I would have the ability to boost youth civic engagement, give back to my community and best represent the people. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 613 3/30/22, 8:10 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4903 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4903 4/7 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* I believe I would be an excellent candidate for the Youth Advisory Committee for two primary reasons. As a student at Dublin High, my love of rigor and wanting to be academically challenged is evident in the course load I have charted to take in high school. I have academically challenged myself through pursuing courses such as Honors Chemistry, Precalculus, and AP Computer Science Principles as a freshman. Although being in these classes has come at the cost of missing out on the opportunity to interact with other freshmen, they have given me the experience of learning and collaborating with numerous upperclassmen. These classes have provided me with the unique experience of communicating and learning in unfamiliar environments, which is a necessary skill for the YAC. I believe that the YAC revolves around the ability to collaborate with others, getting a wide variety of opinions on the issues discussed, and allowing everybody to have their voices heard. Communication and Collaboration are two essential skills needed to become a strong candidate for the YAC. These are two skills I have had the opportunity to develop a foundation within the numerous activities that I have pursued throughout my journey within Dublin. One instance of these skills within my life is seen through my journey within debate and the Dublin High Debate Team. My first experience with the debate was during middle school. However, the principles of debate have transformed my life over the last three years, while developing my foundation within analytical thinking, collaboration, and communication. These skills are essential within an ideal candidate for the Youth Advisory Committee because they create a stronger bond between the 16 members of the YAC. As a candidate for the Youth Advisory Committee, I bring my experience within communication and collaboration in unfamiliar environments, which allows for unity within the members that make up the committee. This allows for the youth of Dublin to stand as a united front and work towards the overall growth of the city of Dublin. Outside of my educational life, I have taken a variety of leadership positions with Dublin, which would make me an ideal candidate for the Youth Advisory Committee. For instance, during the summer of 2020, I recognized that the senior citizens within our community were increasingly isolated, which began to affect our senior citizen’s physical and mental health. To tackle this problem, I created an organization called Elderly Care Everywhere, whose mission was to help senior citizens connect with others within their community, while allowing them to partake in a variety of activities like online socialization meetings, bingo, and our pen pal program. This relates to why I would be the ideal candidate for the Youth Advisory Committee because this demonstrates the leadership and passion that I have displayed throughout the city of Dublin. The Youth Advisory Committee serves as a platform for teens to advocate for the people of Dublin and provides the opportunity to represent the different voices within Dublin. If I was a member of the Youth Advisory Committee, I would have the ability to take action upon the various problems that exist within Dublin, while contributing the perspective of a freshman in high school. In 2021, I was able to host a Valentine’s Day Card Drive, which allowed us to collect over 700 handmade valentine cards that were donated to essential workers during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. We had the opportunity to donate these cards to the Bay Area Community Health Center, the workers at Safeway and Trader Joe's, the Dublin Police Precinct, multiple fire stations across Dublin, and Mayor Hernandez. These activities demonstrate my passion and drive towards the city and people of Dublin, which would reinforce my candidacy for the YAC. As a result of the work, I conducted within the city of Dublin in 2020 and 2021, I was nominated for the Dublin Young Citizen of the Year Award in 2020 and 2021. This serves as a testament to my passion for the city of Dublin, which reflects in my candidacy for the Youth Advisory Committee. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 614 3/30/22, 8:10 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4903 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4903 5/7 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* Unfortunately, the teens within Dublin are plagued with a plethora of issues that have been thrust into the spotlight after the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although our community has begun to move past and heal after the drastic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the teens within Dublin were affected in a variety of ways, which is something that the YAC can alleviate. To begin, one of the toughest problems that teens face is the drastic change from distance learning to in-person learning. This sudden change invoked a strong emotional response from the teenagers within Dublin and created a large variety of problems for the teenagers of Dublin. The transition from school was undoubtedly rough and caused the teens in Dublin to struggle with their mental health, to struggle with all of their feelings and caused teens to struggle with the complication of in-person schooling. The decision to return to in-person learning was announced months ago, which prompted a considerable number of resources to be offered to the students at DHS. Although this effort was able to accomplish the first parts of recovery for the teens at DHS, the YAC has the ability to take this initiative a step further and offer these resources for teenagers across Dublin. If I was a member of the YAC, I would utilize the platform that we had the opportunity to use and promote different resources that the teens in Dublin can use. Even though a variety of resources are offered for teens, a large majority of teens aren’t aware that these resources exist, which can be changed through action from the YAC. Another prevalent problem that plagues teens within Dublin is the confusion that surrounds Emerald High School. The entire community is overjoyed for the arrival of Emerald High and can't wait for the new school to open. Amidst the joy and excitement the Dublin community feels, teenagers within our community feel confused and worried in regards to the arrival of the new school. Although, teens are overjoyed for the creation of the new high school, they are confused about transferring to Emerald High School if they are a student at Dublin High. Unfortunately, there are a large number of myths traversing around the community about what would happen to teens who would be going to Emerald High based on their location, but are currently students at Dublin High School. Principally, a large number of teens are confused about the creation of the Emerald high and transferring there, if they were originally a student at Dublin High. Thankfully, the Youth Advisory Committee can assist these students by using their platform to advocate for these teens and alleviate their confusion. If I was selected to be a part of the Youth Advisory Committee, I would advocate for meetings with the Dublin Unified Board and the city council to help bring some clarity into this situation. Using the platform and resources at the disposal of the Youth Advisory Committee, the myths surrounding the arrival of the new high school can easily be dispelled and we can best assist any students who are confused about the addition of the new high school within our community. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 615 3/30/22, 8:10 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4903 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4903 6/7 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* During the 2022-2023 school year, I'm taking a step back from the extracurriculars I have pursued throughout the 2021-2022 school year. This allows me to focus on the activities that mean the most to me and will allow me to be a better citizen within Dublin. Next year, I will be continuing my work with senior citizens through Elderly Care Everywhere, which is an organization dedicated to preventing senior isolation. Furthermore, I will maintain my presence with Dublin High School's Debate Team and will continue to be an avid participant of these activities. I am choosing to pursue the two aforementioned activities in the 2022-2023 school year because these are two activities that allow me to contribute to my community and help me be the best citizen of Dublin that I can possibly be. By continuing my journey with Elderly Care Everywhere, I can take this platform to new heights and best assist the senior citizens within our community. Even as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, loneliness and isolation have always been prevalent problems for senior citizens. By continuing and expanding upon the mission of Elderly Care Everywhere, we can continue our work to prevent senior isolation and best benefit our community. Over the next year, we have the ability to revolutionize life for senior citizens within Dublin, which is why this is an activity that I will continue to pursue. Furthermore, I will continue my journey within Debate because this is a platform that gives me the opportunity to best assist incoming debaters with their journey through this event. When I first joined debate, I was assisted by multiple sophomores and juniors who helped guide my journey within the complex realm of debate. I want to give back to the community that helped me reach where I am today, by assisting the incoming debaters. I don’t believe that these activities would take away from the work that I would be able to do at the YAC because these activities would only further my ability to assist the community of Dublin. The primary mission of the Youth Advisory Committee is to best offer their services to the community of Dublin and to boost youth civic engagement within Dublin. I believe that my experiences within debate and Elderly Care Everywhere would increase my contributions to the Youth Advisory Committee because I would be bringing the opinions of two very diverse demographics to the committee. This would allow for a wide array of opinions to be considered and included within the decision made regarding anything that this committee would discuss. Even though the activities I am attempting to pursue may become difficult at times, I know that I will have the time required for the events and meetings hosted by the Youth Advisory Committee. One of my key strengths that has allowed me to balance my social, academic and extracurricular life is organization. This means that I can plan ahead for the events that are hosted by the YAC, while managing the other aspects of my life. My organizational and time management skills will help me plan ahead for the meetings that occur, but also serve as a huge asset to the Youth Advisory Committee. These skills are important in a committee that represents the people because this would allow us to move forward in an efficient manner, while best serving the people of Dublin. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* If I was a part of the Youth Advisory Committee, I would increase youth engagement through appealing to their interests and capturing the latest trends within the methods we would utilize to promote these events. Fundamentally, the marketing that is primarily used to promote events is relatively outdated and doesn’t accurately reflect the interests of the individuals that we are trying to engage. Unfortunately, the marketing that tends to be used to promote these events seems unappealing or doesn’t generate as much youth interest as the city may like. If I was a member of the Youth Advisory Committee, I would bring on the perspective of a freshman in Dublin High School and would provide the perspective of a 14 year old within our marketing campaigns. Although the Youth Advisory Committee is composed from different areas of Dublin, the marketing campaigns fall short of generating youth civic interest within the events that are hosted. Along with the perspective of a 14 year old freshman in Dublin High School, I believe that we have to appeal to the interests of the teens in the community to best generate the response that we look for in terms of Youth Civic Engagement. A few ideas that I have regarding the promotion of these events to the youth of Dublin include the incorporation of nft’s within the programs that we attempt to spread. Although, this may sound unconventional, the use of nft’s within marketing campaigns for the city would cause youth civic engagement rates to skyrocket because we would be appealing to the interests of teens. By giving every teen that participates in the events an NFT, we would incentivize the teens of Dublin to participate in the events and drive teen participation. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 616 617 618 619 3/29/22, 10:24 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4856 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4856 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* Skills that make a strong candidate for YAC are my versatility, dedication, persistence and passion. As I have taken part in multiple extracurriculars, I have a wide variety of skills under my belt, including various soft-skills. Through my participation in teams such as my high school’s JV Girls Basketball team, robotics team, and Orchestra for the past two years, I have developed the soft-skills of communication and teamwork as well as physical skills such as hand-eye coordination. As a previous YAC member, I have developed leadership skills. In addition to participating in these extracurriculars, I take advanced classes in school as well which puts my time management skills to the test. Persistence is an important trait which I have used to develop my daily skills and my strong work ethic. One of my hobbies is playing the piano, which has been a hobby since I was 5, and it has taught me valuable lessons in patience and dedication. When learning a new song, I have learned that I can not play perfectly on the first attempt. I know that accomplishments cannot be created immediately, that one needs to work hard at it. I started playing the violin in seventh grade, in my school’s beginning orchestra where I was able to pick up the violin quite quickly and decided to audition for an advanced orchestra the next year, even though four years of experience was recommended. Yet, with persistence and my quick learning skills, I made it in. My versatility enhanced through my various experiences make me a strong candidate as I bring a wide array knowledge and skills to the table and will be able to apply this knowledge to help the voices of my peers be heard through YAC. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* Teenagers in Dublin, I believe, are currently struggling with mental stress problems primarily due to daily life returning to a resemblance of pre-COVID. After two years of daily activities being restricted due to COVID, I know my peers are struggling to return to life that is not entirely behind a computer screen, school where questions about a topic could be answered through a quick Google search instead of actually speaking with a teacher. YAC could help solve this problem by raising awareness about it and organizing activities, an avenue for teenagers that will help them socialize more and regain the ability to speak with others more than just send emails or private questions in the messages of a Zoom meeting. Another problem I think teens face is that some of our voices and viewpoints are not being heard because we are uncomfortable expressing our thoughts to others and projecting our opinions is difficult. YAC can assist in resolving this issue by providing an easily accessible forum for teens to express their opinions, such as a blog or podcast where teens can submit their thoughts on a given subject or an in- person forum such as the 2021 Mental Health Forum where experts were brought in to talk about mental health issues and provide outlets for teens, places and ways they would be able to solve their problems or cope with them. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* Extracurricular athletics and school clubs are two things that I am currently active in. I'm a member of Dublin High's STEM Femme club's graphic design unit, where we learn about and promote women in STEM fields. I am a part of the Gael Force Robotics Development Team as well. Piano, violin, and computer programming lessons, as well as basketball, are all extracurricular events that I engage in. Because of my time management skills, I will be able to prioritize my tasks in addition to my schoolwork, enabling me to devote as much time as possible to YAC meetings and activities. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 620 3/29/22, 10:24 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4856 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4856 4/4 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* Personally, I would use social media and group chats to encourage other teens to be interested in the school, teen events, and City sponsored activities. I know other teenagers who would enjoy engaging in such activities as we are returning to our “normal” world, the one before COVID-19, and return to our previous activities with group gatherings. By spreading information to my peers, I will be able to get more youth interested as well as raise their awareness that such events are occurring as I know that these events are not very popular; I had not been aware that these events were taking place before I joined YAC. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* I have attended all the YAC meetings for the 2021-2022 term as a committee member where we mainly talked about the events we were hosting such as the Mental Health Forum, the Youth Hack-a-thon, and the Youth Benefit Concert. We also talked about volunteering at events like the Tri-Valley Youth Job Fair, the St. Patrick’s Day Festival, the Spring Eggstravaganza, and the Harvest Fair. The dates for these meetings were 08/25/2021, 09/22/2021, 10/27/2021, 11/17/2021, 12/15/2021, 01/26/2022, and 02/23/2022. I also attended the ad-hoc committee meeting for the Youth Benefit Concert on 02/09/2022 where we talked about how to spread the word about the event to gain performers. In these meetings, I was mainly interested in how I would be able to help my community by volunteering as well as how I would be of help in planning these events as well. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 7. Provide at least one signed letter of recommendation from a non-family member (i.e. employer, counselor, teacher, coach, etc.). The letter of recommendation should be submitted with the application and must be received by the application deadline; otherwise, the application will be incomplete. 8. A formal interview process for selected applicants may take place. Upload Letter of Recommendation (required).* Esha Shenoy Letter.pdf Upload 2nd Letter of Recommendation (optional) Esha Shenoy Letter of Recommendation.pdf Application materials must be submitted via this online application form. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2022. Applications or letters of recommendation will not be accepted after the deadline. 621 March 16, 2022 To Whom It May Concern: It is my privilege to have Esha Shenoy in my Sophomore Advanced English class this year. As a tenth-grader, she demonstrates exceptional social and intellectual maturity. She also has the social skills and discipline necessary to work well with other students in collaborative groups. On many occasions I noticed that her help was welcomed by other less sure students in these settings. She works effectively in groups, taking leadership roles, always insisting on sharing and completing thoughtful work -- skills and abilities that will serve her well in future academic and workplace settings. Esha also has a kind heart and truly wants to help others. Just this week, a fellow classmate was having a difficult time and asked to go outside. Esha sprang into action and asked to go talk with the other student. She stayed with her friend even though it meant she would have to complete the in class assignment for homework. That is the type of person Esha is. She is willing to do more so that the people around her are taken care of. Esha has many admirable goals, continuing her service as a member of the Youth Advisory Committee among them. With her combination of intellectual skills, motivation and social maturity, she will flourish in committee such as yours. You will not be disappointed. I give Esha Shenoy my highest recommendation. Sara C Hoison Sara C Hollison English Department Co-Lead Teacher Sophomore Advanced and Freshman English Teacher www.dublinusd.org/dhs 622 All Dublin Students Will Become Lifelong Learners PRINCIPAL Maureen Byrne ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS Paul Faris Whitney Dwyer Krista Taylor Lenni Velez Diana Santamorena DUBLIN HIGH SCHOOL 2017 GOLD RIBBON SCHOOL 8151 Village Parkway, Dublin, CA 94568 ⧫925-833-3300⧫ FAX 925-833-3322 March 21, 2022 To Whom It May Concern: I had the pleasure of coaching Esha Shenoy on the Dublin High School JV Girls basketball team for the 2021-2022 season. And I highly recommend her for the Youth Advisory Committee. Esha is a dynamic student and player. She maintained her extracurriculars while taking a challenging academic course load. She is a part of the school’s orchestra and taking on AP European History, one of the tougher choices a sophomore can make at DHS. In addition to this, she contributed to the Youth Mental Health forum and is part of the planning for the Youth Hack-a-thon. On the court, she showed determination and teamwork. No matter the game-time situation or who she was up against, Esha always gave it her all. The improvement I saw this season let me know that she was listening and processing every day at practice. I fully believe Esha would be a wonderful addition to any community she belongs to, whether as a volunteer, student, or colleague. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions. Best Regards, Carter Stimson Carter Stimson Dublin High School Social Studies Teacher 623 624 3/29/22, 10:28 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4877 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4877 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* In general, I am hardworking, persistent, and persevering! I am a quick learner and I adapt readily to new environments; even though I am not yet too familiar with the procedures of YAC as it is my first year applying, once I become more familiar with the process, I will do my absolute best to excel in whatever I need to do! I am a quick learner, so it will not be difficult for me to get used to new processes. I work well by a schedule with planned dates in advance, but I am also flexible and can work without feeling pressured in spontaneity if needed, as I've now become used to working under fluctuating schedules from previous activities. I'm punctual and organized, and I will always show up a few minutes early to events! As mentioned earlier, I've had prior experience from other activities that I have been committed to which have required me to perform tasks such as attend regular meetings, collaborate with others to plan and brainstorm, arrange events, work under pressure and approaching deadlines, and more! (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* One issue that I had in mind was the lack of awareness of volunteering opportunities; many teens in Dublin are looking for ways to serve the community, but there is not a lot of promotion of these activities as far as I have witnessed. I believe this is a topic that YAC is able to address and discuss methods to improve publicity of events and activities going on in the community to benefit teens who are currently seeking out opportunities. In addition, I believe we may also be capable of discussing new, original ideas of activities to further benefit teens who want to get involved! (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* As of the 2021-2022 school year, I am currently a member in my school's Key Club and Drama Club, as well as the role of Stage Manager for our spring production. I also do piano and violin outside of school. For the 2022-2023 school year, I am continuing all of my current activities and serving as the new Project Chair for Key Club, and I will be a FMP (Freshman Mentor Program) mentor. Even though I will have several regular commitments after school, I should be able to attend all regularly scheduled meetings at the end of each month. I understand that there may be instances where additional events will occur; my schedule is generally flexible and I will be able to prioritize YAC meetings over any other conflicts given one day's notice in advance. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* I have been involved in leadership, yearbook, and drama where I have had much familiarity with advertising in general! I am familiar with methods of promotion in terms of tactical use and appeal to the audience. That being said, I am able to incorporate basic knowledge of methods for this in general. To be more specific, I am able to help with promotion by through my school; Even if I will not be able to reach everyone in a school of more than 3,000 students, it will be easy for me to promote community-related events through several audiences in activities I am involved in! Casually speaking, I am also easily able to share information with peers and people that I am in contact with. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* I have not yet attended a YAC meeting. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 625 626 sñƛĐł ˭˴̣ ˮˬˮˮ »ŵ ÚłŵŨ UƯ sñǖ ŵŪĐğƛṲ̄ U ñŨ łŵŪŵƛğė Ưŵ Ďğ ǐƛňƯňŪĺ ñ şğƯƯğƛ ŵĹ ƛğĐŵŨŨğŪėñƯňŵŪ Ĺŵƛ UƛğŪğ łň̢ Ǐğƛ Ưłğ şñƣƯ Ưǐŵ ñĐñėğŨňĐ ǖğñƛƣ̣ ƣłğ łñƣ Ũñėğ ñ Ǐğƛǖ ƘŵƣňƯňǏğ ňŨƘƛğƣƣňŵŪ ŵŪ Ũğ̢ UƛğŪğͅƣ ĐŵŨŨňƯŨğŪỰ şğñėğƛƣłňƘ̣ ñŪė ŵƛĺñŪňǡñƯňŵŪ ñƛğ ĐŵŨŨğŪėñĎşğ̢ »ŵ ĎğĺňỤ̄ UƛğŪğ ňƣ ñ şğñėğƛ ňŪ Ưłğ ĐşñƣƣƛŵŵŨ̢ iñƣƯ ǖğñƛ̣ ňŪ 'ƛñŨñ ˭̣ ƣłğ Ưŵŵś Ưłğ ňŪňƯňñƯňǏğ Ưŵ śğğƘ łğƛ ĺƛŵƷƘ ŵŪ̸Ưñƣś ėƷƛňŪĺ ŵƷƛ ǏňƛƯƷñş ƣĐğŪğ ƘğƛĹŵƛŨñŪĐğ ƛğłğñƛƣñşƣ̢ U ŪŵƯğė łŵǐ ƣłğ şğė Ďǖ ğǕñŨƘşğ̣ ñŪẹ̇ ñƣ ñ ƛğƣƷşỰ ğǏğƛǖŵŪğ ňŪ łğƛ ĺƛŵƷƘ ƣğğŨğė ƘŵƣňƯňǏğ ñŪė ŨŵƯňǏñƯğė̢ sŵƛğŵǏğƛ̣ Ưłğǖ ǐğƛğ ƷşƯňŨñƯğşǖ ñĎşğ Ưŵ ƘƷƯ ŵŪ ñŪ ğŪĺñĺňŪĺ ƘğƛĹŵƛŨñŪĐğ ƯłñƯ ğǕĐğğėğė Ưłğ ñƣƣňĺŪŨğŪƯͅƣ ğǕƘğĐƯñƯňŵŪƣ̢ »łňƣ ǖğñƛ̣ ňŪ 'ƛñŨñ ˮ̣ UƛğŪğ łñƣ łñė Ưŵ ǐŵƛś ňŪ ŨñŪǖ ėňĹĹğƛğŪƯ ĺƛŵƷƘ ƣňƯƷñƯňŵŪƣ̣ ƣƷĐł ñƣ̤ ƣĐğŪğ ƘğƛĹŵƛŨñŪĐğ ƘñƛƯŪğƛƣłňƘƣ̣ ŨŵŪŵşŵĺƷğ ĹğğėĎñĐś ĺƛŵƷƘƣ̣ ǐñƛŨ̸ƷƘ ĹñĐňşňƯñƯňŵŪ ĺƛŵƷƘƣ̣ ñŪė Ũŵƛğ̢ uŵ ŨñƯƯğƛ Ưłğ ĺƛŵƷƘ ƯłñƯ UƛğŪğ ňƣ ƘƷƯ ňỤ̄ ƣłğ ǩŪėƣ ñ ǐñǖ Ưŵ ŪñǏňĺñƯğ Ưłğ ėǖŪñŨňĐƣ ĺƛñĐğĹƷşşǖ̢ UƛğŪğ ñşǐñǖƣ şňƣƯğŪƣ ǩƛƣƯ ĎğĹŵƛğ ňŪƣğƛƯňŪĺ łğƛ ŵƘňŪňŵỤ̄ ǐłňĐł Ũñśğƣ łğƛ ñ ĺƛğñƯ ŨğėňñƯŵƛ ñŪė ǏñşƷğė ƯğñŨ Ƙşñǖğƛ̢ ėėňƯňŵŪñşşụ̈̄ UƛğŪğͅƣ ĐŵŨŨňƯŨğŪƯ Ưŵ 'P®ͅƣ 'ƛñŨñ 'ğƘñƛƯŨğŪƯ ňƣ ğǕĐğƘƯňŵŪñş̧ Hŵƛ ŵƷƛ Hñşş £şñụ̈̄şŨŵƣỰ sñňŪğ̣ U łňƛğė UƛğŪğ ñƣ ŵŪğ ŵĹ Ưǐŵ ƣƣňƣƯñŪƯ ®Ưñĺğ sñŪñĺğƛƣ ̲®sƣ̢̳ UŪ Ưłňƣ ƛŵşğ̣UƛğŪğ ǐñƣ ƛğƣƘŵŪƣňĎşğ Ĺŵƛ ŨñŪǖ ňŨƘŵƛƯñŪƯ Ưñƣśƣ̣ ňŪĐşƷėňŪĺ ĎƷƯ ŪŵƯ şňŨňƯğė Ưŵ̤ ǐƛňƯňŪĺ ėŵǐŪ ñşş ŵĹ Ưłğ Ƙşñǖͅƣ ĎşŵĐśňŪḷ́ ƣğŪėňŪĺ Ưłğ ĐñƣƯͅƣ ƘñƛğŪƯƣ ǐğğśşǖ ƣĐłğėƷşğ ƷƘėñƯğƣ̣ ƣƷƘƘŵƛƯňŪĺ »ğĐł »ğñŨ ƯƛñňŪňŪḷ́ ƣƷƘğƛǏňƣňŪĺ ĎñĐśƣƯñĺğ ėƷƛňŪĺ ƘğƛĹŵƛŨñŪĐğƣ̣ ñŪė ñƣƣňƣƯňŪĺ Ưłğ ®Ưñĺğ sñŪñĺğƛ ̲®s̳ ňŪ ŵƯłğƛ ŨňƣĐğşşñŪğŵƷƣ ǐñǖƣ̢ UƛğŪğͅƣ ŵƛĺñŪňǡñƯňŵŪ ñŪė ñƯƯğŪƯňŵŪ Ưŵ ėğƯñňş ñşşŵǐğė łğƛ Ưŵ ğǕĐğş ňŪ Ưłňƣ ƛŵşğ̢ UŪ ĹñĐỰ ƣłğ ǐñƣ ƣŵ ğǕĐğƘƯňŵŪñş ñƯ ĎğňŪĺ ñŪ ®s ƯłñƯ U ėğĐňėğė Ưŵ ƘƛŵŨŵƯğ łğƛ Ưŵ ®s Ĺŵƛ ŵƷƛ ®ƘƛňŪĺ ®łŵǐ̢ UͅŨ şŵŵśňŪĺ Ĺŵƛǐñƛė Ưŵ ƣğğňŪĺ łğƛ ƣłňŪğ ňŪ Ưłňƣ ƛŵşğ ŵǏğƛ Ưłğ ŪğǕƯ ĐŵƷƘşğ ŨŵŪƯłƣ̧ UŪ ƣƷỤ̃ U ĎğşňğǏğ UƛğŪğ łň ǐŵƷşė Ďğ ñŪ ğǕĐğşşğŪƯ ñėėňƯňŵŪ Ưŵ 'ƷĎşňŪͅƣ àŵƷƯł ėǏňƣŵƛǖ ŵŨŨňƯƯğğ̢ Pğƛ ǐŵƛś ğƯłňĐ ñŪė ėğėňĐñƯňŵŪ ǐňşş ŨŵƣƯ ĐğƛƯñňŪşǖ ĎğŪğǩƯ Ưłğ ĺƛŵƷƘ̢ ®ňŪĐğƛğşụ̈̄ 0Ǐñ s̢ sñƣėğŵ şňǏğƛ 'ƛñŨñ »ğñĐłğƛ 'ƷĎşňŪ Pňĺł ®Đłŵŵş ǐǐǐ̢ėƷĎşňŪƷƣė̢ŵƛĺ̯ėłƣ 627 628 3/29/22, 10:59 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4884 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4884 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* My main strengths of qualities would be my use of communication and enthusiasm. Being a part of the USA Women's Cricket Elite Team, participating in tournaments across many countries such as Mexico and Zimbabwe, observing and learning from players from different countries, captaining the U19 team, and winning the first-ever National Championship, I have grown my communication and adaptability traits. I am always willing to work with people and often find myself in leadership roles, which makes volunteering such a pleasurable act for me. I believe that using a voice is insignificant unless used to cause change. I have carried this belief during my 2021-2022 year, and it is the same mindset that I will continue to carry on if accepted into the council again. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* As a current sophomore and upcoming junior at Dublin High School, I have noticed how students have been affected by academic stress. The Youth Advisory Committee could be in contact with Dublin High School and help them arrange on and off-campus activities to help teens deal with their stress. This issue could also tie in volunteer events that would allow for a stress-free environment and teenagers participating in city-wide events. On-campus events such as having pets on campus to help deal with stress and YAC coordinating with DHS staff to ensure more "No Homework Nights." Off-campus activities would involve whatever city events are being planned, allowing students to take some time off from school, help their community, and gain volunteering credits they seek. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* I spend most of my time playing cricket since I now represent the USA Women's Cricket Team as the youngest player. Not only that, but I have been a member of the Biomedical Academy for two years in Dublin High. I also spend 3 hours weekly volunteering at the San Ramon Medical Center, helping patients and staff members with their errands. Even with a busy schedule, I prioritize YAC events. As I enjoy and dedicate my time to preparing for committee events and ensuring that each meeting is productive. I always feel accomplished when I attend and learn from the YAC meetings. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* To get teens involved in community events, I observed the relevance of how, when, and where the occasions are publicized and marketed. For example, if YAC events were informed to students on the Dublin High campus during school announcements and emails to know about upcoming events, more teenagers would be involved. The city can post the events on social media to attract more teens to them. Interactive activities on occasions would allow for teenagers to be excited about volunteering, as well as them being rewarded with volunteering hours. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 629 3/29/22, 10:59 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4884 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4884 4/4 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* I, fortunately, had the opportunity to attend monthly YAC meetings to discuss issues we want to bring to light in our community. The meeting environment has always kept everyone involved in conversations, and my peers and I are free to get any discussion necessary to the table. The most recent meeting I have attended was on Wednesday, March 23rd of, 2022. This meeting covered many insightful topics about Dublin, and I was so thankful to take part in this educated group of people. We discussed and planned out future events in this meeting, including the Cultural Arts Center Business Plan. The outcome of this meeting was me being graciously voted into representing the Ad Hoc Committee to support the development of Cultural Arts in Dublin. This is an immense honor for me, and I am looking forward to holding all responsibility for further cultural awareness production in Dublin. Most recently, I have attended Dublin City council meetings for the Fallon sports park master plan as it activates and facilitates youth to participate in diversified sports activities that can one day allow them to represent the country, state, and their city. If reaccepted, I hope to further my impact on Dublin as a second-year Youth Council Member in the next term. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 7. Provide at least one signed letter of recommendation from a non-family member (i.e. employer, counselor, teacher, coach, etc.). The letter of recommendation should be submitted with the application and must be received by the application deadline; otherwise, the application will be incomplete. 8. A formal interview process for selected applicants may take place. Upload Letter of Recommendation (required).* Anika Kolan - Dublin Youth Advisory Committee (2).pdf Upload 2nd Letter of Recommendation (optional) Anika-srrm-reco-letter (1).pdf Application materials must be submitted via this online application form. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2022. Applications or letters of recommendation will not be accepted after the deadline. 630 Suite 7, 1 First Street. Los Altos, CA 94022 USACRICKET.ORG A: Suite 7, 1 First Street, Los Altos, CA 94022 W: usacricket.org March 23, 2022 City of Dublin 11600 Shannon Ave., Dublin, CA 94568 To Whom it May Concern Re: Ms. Anika Kolan’s Re-application to Dublin’s Youth Advisory Committee Please accept this letter as an endorsement for Ms. Anika Kolan ’s re-application to the Dublin Youth Advisory Committee. I have known Ms. Kolan since she was 10 years old as a keen and budding cricketer. At the time, I was representing the USA national cricket team and coaching at a local youth cricket academy – East Bay Youth Cricket Association. Since 2018, I have been serving as a board member of USA Cricket, the national governing body for the sport in the United States of America. Ms. Kolan’s passion for cricket stood out among the many local boys who also played cricket in her school and community. It was clear to me that her passion and dedication to being a student of the game would not only make her a successful cricketer but also a successful citizen in her community and wherever she goes. Her strong communication skills and leadership qualities are just a couple of the reasons why she was chosen to be the Under 19 West Zone captain at the USA Cricket Under 19 National Championship in 2021. These skills would transfer into her role on the Youth Advisory Committee as I am confident she has already demonstrated, and put her in good stead to be an ambassador for the community and the constituents it serves. Ms. Kolan is a diligent and high-performing student, and has unquestionable abilities to fundraise, champion community efforts and causes, and evaluate programs for effectiveness. It goes without saying that as a young, USA national cricketer, Ms. Kolan is placed perfectly to create awareness and generate interests in Dublin, for cricket and other sports for girls. I unreservedly support Ms. Kolan’s re-application to the Youth Advisory Committee, to continue to build upon the great work she has done. Kind regards, Nadia T. Gruny Board Director, USA Cricket Chair, Women and Girls Committee 631 632 633 3/29/22, 10:54 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4880 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4880 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* During my current term as a Youth Advisory Committee member, I was able to utilize many of my skills such as leadership, time management, dedication, and commitment. As a member of YAC, I volunteered my time when a representative from YAC was needed, such as the youth mental health, attended the Fall Round Table Event, and volunteered at several events such as the St, Patrick’s Day festival. I have never missed a shift unless I notify someone of my absence before, so I am reliable, dedicated, and committed to the Committee. Additionally, as a junior in high school, I have had to manage my time juggling academics and YAC as this year has been rigorous, but I have managed to allot time for YAC and not miss more than 2 meetings in the span of 8 months. All these skills make me a well-rounded candidate and will definitely assist the success of the Youth Advisory Committee if I am selected. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* I believe that the two main issue teens in Dublin are currently dealing with is mental health and staying connected with the community. Factors such as school, extracurriculars, and pressures from adults greatly impact the youth today, especially in an academically driven city like Dublin. Many teens find these pressures overwhelming and may start to have depressive episodes or develop anxiety revolving around the stresses in their lives. YAC focuses on what the community of youth needs currently, so we could create events to destigmatize talking about mental health and reaching out for help, as well as provide a time for a teen to destress and forget about other worries in their lives. One event, in particular, would be another youth mental health forum. In November of 2021, the 5 ad hoc members of the Youth Mental Health Forum (including myself) put together a successful event that gave youth as well as adults to come to a safe place and learn more from panelists who work with youth regularly. We encouraged teens to speak up about their own personal experiences with mental health to simply provide support, and if needed, advice. This would also help address the issue of staying connected with the community, but there is more that could be done. Putting together events such as carnivals, fairs, and speaker events would be appealing to teens in Dublin and they would be able to further make interpersonal connections with other teens in the city through these bonding events. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* As a rising senior, I will have college applications in the fall but I will make sure to allot time for YAC meetings and will definitely participate in events that we host and have to volunteer for, as I would like to stay involved in the community while still applying to college. I am a volunteer as a teen advisor for a program called Teen Talk, and my role is to help out other teens take control of their social and emotional health by providing an easy way for them to get help from the group of people they trust most, their peers. We are trained to help users with anxiety, depression, family issues, and much more. However, this commitment will not interfere with YAC meetings as I have been sure to self-select my shifts so they won’t overlap. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* School is the best place for teens to hear about events, as this is a communal environment. Being part of the ad-hoc team for the Youth Mental Health Forum, we were required to advertise and find ways to spread the word about the event. We made sure to talk to the high school and both middle schools as this was our target audience and put up flyers at the schools to encourage attendance at the event. I believe that the main way to get teens involved is to generate publicity and exposure, and this can be done through social media posts since it is a large part of teenager life. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 634 635 636 637 3/29/22, 2:47 PM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4895 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4895 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* I consider myself to be a team leader, a communicator that’s open to speaking for the youth of our city. Look, I like talking about solutions to the problems we face, I like being a problem solver by leading others & taking the initiative. Earlier this year, I was entrusted to lead & monitor the discussion of our yearly Mini-Grant Program to the entire committee. When we learned that most of the organizations wouldn’t receive the full amount they requested, we took time to discuss where we should disperse the funds. In the end, we gave away a total of $2500 to local nonprofits & organizations, with every applicant receiving at least some grant money. It was an effort of teamwork, a respectful discussion that allowed us to allocate the funds equitably for each project. I’m also involved within the community. For example, when it comes to public engagement events, I’m proud to show up, give my opinion, ask questions, and receive information that the city wants me to know. It ain’t much, but it’s honest work. I think that, for the Youth Advisory Committee, it’s useful to be able to take in information & act upon it, especially with a group like this. I know that I’ll be able to accomplish all of this on the Committee, and I’ll gladly listen & work with other committee members to help form a more inclusive, respectful environment during our meetings. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* As we’ve returned to in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year, there are still many issues affecting our youth due to the effects of the pandemic. Many of our youth are still suffering from signs of depression & anxiety, even to a point where our nation’s Surgeon General has called it an “urgent public health crisis”. The mental health crisis isn’t a joke, and it’s a serious problem that our public leaders must address. I’ve led the effort to solve this problem in the community, because when our school district publicly declares in their data report that more than a quarter of our students feel like they’ve “had feelings of hopelessness/ depression”, “feeling unsafe in school”, and an alarming 10% say that have “considered committing suicide” in the past year, we must be doing more the youth in our city. During my time as Vice Chair, I proposed the formation of a Youth Mental Health Forum to be held here in Dublin, allowing the ability for our youth to learn more about our mental health. It was a success, with many students across the Tri-Valley attending the event, asking questions, speaking out, and even sharing stories about their mental health. I’ve worked with other mental health clubs such as the Elephant in the Room Project, the OCD Truth, and the Bring Change to Mind Organization to inform our students of resources that can help bring them out of depression. I truly believe that, with support from the Youth Advisory Committee, we can continue to enact a meaningful discussion among mental health across the community, for all of Dublin’s youth. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* I am currently involved on Dublin High’s Track & Field Team, and I will also be on the Cross Country team later this Fall. Late last year, I joined the Dublin Mayor’s Council (DMC), a selective group of students interested in working with the Mayor to help promote community engagement across Dublin. Throughout the school year, I have been a proud member of amazing mental awareness clubs such as Dublin’s Bring Change to Mind Club & The DMC’s Elephant in the Project for the past three years, and I’ll be continuing to help improve mental health conditions at DHS next year. I’m committed to holding myself to high academic standards, being a member of Dublin’s California Scholarship Federation, National Honors Society, and Spanish Honors Society. I will commit to being a member in each of these clubs next, possibly in an executive position (if elected!). Despite all of these responsibilities, I will be fully committed and will devote time each month to the Youth Advisory Committee meetings and activities. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 638 3/29/22, 2:47 PM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4895 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4895 4/4 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* The best way to get other teens involved in our events is with volunteer opportunities. While volunteering is no longer a requirement for our diploma options at Dublin High, it is still nice for the city to provide our youth the opportunity to complete community service work through the events we put on as a committee. Volunteer service is still a requirement for many of our top clubs at Dublin High School, and many students are looking locally to fulfill that requirement. Understanding these situations, the Youth Advisory Committee has done exactly this with our projects in the past year. We’ve attracted dozens of youth volunteers across the city to help participate in ensuring our event’s success. Another small thing we’ve done to promote outreach is by providing snacks, huge emphasis on snacks! It’s a great way to reward our youth for showing up! We can also gain more involvement with social media advertisements personally/through the City, school PFC newsletters, and local media to inform not just the youth, but their parents as well. For example, the Youth Advisory Committee hosted a Mental Health Forum last November, having more than 75 teens & parents across the Tri-Valley attending the event after advertisements across the city. By providing these opportunities, we’re more than likely to receive quality engagement from our youth. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* As the current Vice Chair of the Youth Advisory Committee, I have attended every meeting since my term started last Summer. I have also been an active viewer of every Planning Commission & City Council meeting since the start of the pandemic in 2020, usually listening to them as background noise while working on school work. It’s a fun hobby at this point! I always like seeing what our local public servants are doing, since after all they are supposed to represent us! Earlier this February, I was interested in Item 7.1 about the Preferred Plan the City Council wanted to adopt. As a resident that lives close to the property, I was interested in seeing how our Council would accept the plan after months of dedicated outreach to stakeholders, residents (such as me!), and businesses in the community. After some public comment from residents, the item passed by a 3-1 vote from the Council. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 7. Provide at least one signed letter of recommendation from a non-family member (i.e. employer, counselor, teacher, coach, etc.). The letter of recommendation should be submitted with the application and must be received by the application deadline; otherwise, the application will be incomplete. 8. A formal interview process for selected applicants may take place. Upload Letter of Recommendation (required).* Mrs. Kaplan - Letter of Rec 2022.pdf Upload 2nd Letter of Recommendation (optional) Ms. Ledford - Letter of Rec 2022 .pdf Application materials must be submitted via this online application form. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2022. Applications or letters of recommendation will not be accepted after the deadline. 639 March 21st, 2022 To Whom It May Concern,: It is with great pleasure that I am able to write this letter of recommendation for Brandon Maskey. I have known Brandon for eight months as a current student in my English 3 course. My goal for this letter is to highlight and expound on his attributes that will make her a valuable and successful addition to Dublin’s Youth Advisory Committee I believe that I am able to shed light on Brandon academically and socially because of the level of interactions we had throughout the past year. He is an incredibly driven individual and does not shy away from asking for help when necessary. Brandon shows empathy for others in collaborative work; his willingness to step up as a leader, and at the same time, his willingness to let others lead is readily apparent in class. Brandon was often the group leader in activities and helped his group engage in discussions. He consistently puts in effort in all that he does and the quality is evident in his grades and rapport with me and his peers. From my time spent with Brandon, I learned that he is determined and engaged in his own learning and goals. What is noteworthy about Brandon, especially with juggling school work, publishing in the Dublin Shield, our school newspaper, and wanting to take this opportunity with the YAC, he is focused on staying organized and completing his tasks with a high level of insight. In this light, Brandon shows a tremendous amount of initiative and personal drive to succeed. He is self-driven and motivated to meet his goals and I believe this is a quality that will serve him well in the future. Please feel free to contact me to shed more light on Brandon’s academic potential and beyond. Sincerely, Ramany Sim Kaplan English Teacher, The Shield & FMP Advisor Dublin High School, Dublin Unified School District 1 640 641 642 3/29/22, 2:49 PM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4896 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4896 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* I would be a strong candidate for the YAC because of my dedication, creativity, and leadership. I am dedicated because I am very persistent and will keep trying without giving up. I have been running distance track and cross country at DHS since my freshmen year and that has helped me by teaching me to stay dedicated and persist after long-term goals. I am creative because I am good at brainstorming and coming up with unique ideas. My approach to everything is analytical and this can be demonstrated through my experience in taking Engineering courses throughout high school. We are often given a certain task to complete and we have to come up with a solution that creatively solves the task better then our classmates while fitting into given constraints. This thought me to be creative and try to think outside box but still make sure to follow instructions. Lastly I have leadership skills which allows for me to be a leader to my peers and make important decisions. I have experience as a math tutor which has taught me how to take charge of a group and look at each individual to see how they approach things and their perspective. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* There are a variety of issues teens in Dublin are currently experiencing which I've noticed through personal experience or what I've seen. One major issue I've seen is a lack of motivation or a sense or apathy towards what goes on in the world and in their own future. A lot of the people I see that are unsuccessful in school aren't unsuccessful because they aren't smart enough or just can't do it. It's because they simply don't care about school, they don't do their homework at all or study for tests. Something we can do give this is people a more direct idea of what they want to do with their futures. We already have a career fair but I feel like it can be expanded on with more direct involvement for students such as internships or employment opportunities early on. This would give students more visible goals and things to work towards, providing encouragement to try harder school. Another way to increase student involvement is to actually display to students directly some of the things we have going on in the city. All of the volunteer opportunities or even this application all came across because I went out of my way to find out about it or I came across by chance. If we brought these opportunities like the youth advisory committee or volunteering directly to the students in school then there would be a lot more involvement. Another thing that I have seen among our teens is a decrease in a sense of community. I think this is mainly due to the pandemic and people staying at home, they are a lot more reserved in their own bubbles and don't look outwards. To fix this I think just having more events outside would help a lot. Splatter is great and I see a lot of people meeting up and things like the movie nights were also good. We could also host more events that are specifically oriented and certain age groups to increase interaction like one just for elementary kids or high schoolers. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* As I stated before I am involved in Track and Field and Cross Country. I also take courses outside of high school such as cyber security and plan to do economics in the future. During the summer I plan on starting a job as well. Next year I plan to continue involvement in various clubs throughout the school year such as Key Club, which involves volunteering around the community. Despite this I am confident I will have enough time to devote to YAC as it's something that is important to me and fits into my schedule. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 643 644 March 25th, 2022 To Dublin’s Youth Advisory Committee: It is with great pleasure that I am able to write this letter of recommendation for Harsh Gupta who is currently a student in my American Literature, English 3 course. My goal for this letter is to highlight and provide details on his attributes that will make him a valuable and impactful addition to Dublin’s Youth Advisory Committee. Harsh is a thoughtful student who puts in effort to complete his classwork. He is a driven individual and does not shy away from asking for clarification when needed. We often engage in collaborative problem solving while reading novels related to coming-of-age and identity formation, a topic that is very pertinent to young men of his age. His conversations in these activities with his peers result in very productive, thorough and reflective discussions. In this light, Harsh is an empathetic listener who values his peers' opinions and contributes well in group settings. He is currently balancing his Honors Chemistry class with track and field, and participation in the Key Club. I can always count on Harsh to show empathy for others in collaborative work;he is willing to step up as a leader, and at the same time, to let others lead. Please feel free to contact me to shed more light on Harsh’s academic potential and beyond. Sincerely, Ramany Sim Kaplan English Teacher, The Shield & FMP Advisor Dublin High School, Dublin Unified School District 1 645 646 647 648 649 3/29/22, 11:01 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4885 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4885 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* I am in a speech and debate club, DECA, cross country/track and field, karate, and boy scouts. I have good social and communication skills. I don't find it hard to talk to new people, and I make connections very easily. I don't find it difficult to reach out to people if I have questions or concerns. This means that I could easily talk to people and find people interested in participating in events. Along with that I am a life rank in boy scouts. I have experience with leadership positions and participating in events and organizing them alike. I strongly believe in service to others, as that is one of the boy scout ideals. This year marks my fifth year being in the Dublin 4-H speech and debate club. I have won gold at county, regional, and state competitions all 4 years. I am hoping to continue this trend this year with the regional speech competition coming up in April. This is my first year in DECA since it is only available in high school, and I have attended one competition. The competition gave me a lot of valuable experience regarding pitching a company and using graphics. Me and my partner had to write an entire pitch following the performance indicators, with props, in just thirty minutes. We managed to pull together a good presentation despite it being our first competition. I am proud of how we performed and am excited for the next competition. This was also my first year doing cross country, or even playing a sport for that matter. And yet, I was able to improve by a huge margin. I started the year with an 8:30 mile time, and a 24:30 3 mile time. I finished off the season with a 5:38 mile time, and an 18:57 5k (3.1 miles) time. This 5k time is better than 95% of 14 year old's, and is considered to need at least 5 years of training to achieve this level. However, I managed to do it in 1. One thing I learned from being part of the cross country team is that I am capable of things that I could have never imagined. If you would have told me how much I would improve by, and the times that I would get, I would have never believed you. Yet I managed to surprise myself and surpass my limits. I have been doing karate for almost 7 years, and I am currently a 2nd degree black belt. I have not been active for a while, but I plan to start up again once the track season is over. Another experience that I greatly benefited from was the Dublin leads program. It is a program in which you do everything an employee does, except you get volunteering hours instead of money. The Dublin city rec department will assign you to one of their camps or facilities. This summer was my first time ever doing it and it was very helpful. I was assigned to the wave and quite literally worked the front desk. I answered phone calls, questions, complaints, and checked in kids for swim lessons. This gave me an exact simulation of how a job would be. We even had our shifts posted on a calendar, and you could trade or swap shifts. This helped improve my time management skills, because I needed to coordinate my schedule with the leads schedule, and get my work done on time. All of this accumulated me around 70-80 hours of volunteering on top of that. It gave me experience in working with representatives from the city of Dublin as well as working with new people. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* One issue that kids are currently facing is obesity. More than 12.7 million children and adolescents suffer from obesity in the United States. Obesity, caused by lack of exercise and poor diet, is responsible for over 300,000 deaths every year. For many teens, it is hard to go to the gym to exercise, or hard to afford it. One simple yet effective solution to this is an outdoor gym. The gyms can be as simple as pull-up bars and horizontal bars, or as complex as air walkers and chest presses. Many of these kinds of gyms already exist in Japan, especially in Tokyo. With covid social distancing issues, these are the perfect solution. Kids can go here with their friends to work out, and since these are outside, the risk of covid transmission is reduced. I think that they would be a great addition here as well. They would also allow teens to socialize again after the pandemic, and create new ways for people to hang out and chill. These gyms can be put at Fallon Sports Park and Dublin Sports ground. Another place where they would be effective is Emerald Glen Park. This is because Emerald Glen is in the middle of Dublin, making it easily accessible for everyone. I'm sure that many teens will start to use these, as they are very helpful and don't take up that much space. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 650 3/29/22, 11:01 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4885 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4885 4/4 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* I am currently working on my Eagle rank for Boy Scouts and will most likely be finished by the time summer comes to an end. I plan to take part in the Alameda County science fair again next year. I did cross country this year and I am planning to do it again next year as well. I am very good with time management because I have been able to manage all my activities along with doing well in school and still manage to have free time. Hence I will definitely have time to devote to YAC every month. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* I'm sure many of my fellow boy scouts will be happy to participate in community events. I can talk about it at our troop meetings and see if anyone is interested. Another way is to Simply reach out to everyone in my neighborhood. I know lots of teens here and I'm sure many of them will be happy to join. I could also ask people about it at school by putting up flyers or asking around, and see if anyone there is interested. I could bring it up during the 4-H speech and debate club meetings to see if anyone is interested. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* Yes, I attended the city council meeting on March 15th virtually, and I was interested in the water slide repair item. I used to volunteer at the wave and two of the water slides were closed due to safety issues. The water slide repair work was approved and I am looking forward to seeing how they turn out. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 7. Provide at least one signed letter of recommendation from a non-family member (i.e. employer, counselor, teacher, coach, etc.). The letter of recommendation should be submitted with the application and must be received by the application deadline; otherwise, the application will be incomplete. 8. A formal interview process for selected applicants may take place. Upload Letter of Recommendation (required).* Recommendation letter for Tanish Zutshi.pdf Upload 2nd Letter of Recommendation (optional) Tanish Zutshi LOR.pdf Application materials must be submitted via this online application form. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2022. Applications or letters of recommendation will not be accepted after the deadline. 651 Joe Washington Dublin Resident 3/16/2022 Dublin Youth Advisory Council Selection Committee Dublin, CA Dear Dublin Youth Advisory Council Selection Committee: This letter is to recommend Tanish Zutshi as a member of the Dublin Youth Advisory Committee. I have worked with Tanish as a merit badge counselor for Scouting, and he has impressed me as a responsible, motivated young man. He is well prepared, conscientious, and does good work. He has successfully completed Citizenship in the Community, Nation, and World, Personal Fitness, Family Life, and Emergency Preparedness merit badges with me as his counselor, and his work is thorough, well thought out, and he comes prepared. I am encouraged by his pursuit for a leadership position here in the city, and look forward to what he could accomplish. Sincerely, Joe Washington Merit Badge Counselor Parks and Community Services Commission Member Dublin Resident 652 Jessica Shipps Dublin High School 8151 Village Parkway Dublin, CA 94568 March 17th, 2022 Dublin Youth Advisory Council Dublin City Hall 100 Civic Plaza Dublin, CA 94568 To whom it may concern: My name is Jessica Shipps and I am a Spanish teacher at Dublin High School. I have the pleasure of recommending my student Tanish Zutshi for the Dublin Youth Advisory Committee. I know Tanish to be a hardworking, personable, level-headed student who would be a great asset to your team. As a student in my class, he always works hard and holds his fellow students accountable. In one instance, he happened to be outside when an incident occurred involving other students being disruptive; Tanish was able to give an unbiased and thorough report of what had happened, while still maintaining an empathetic mindset. The problem was resolved quickly and appropriately, thanks to the empathy he showed to his fellow students, and the honesty and responsibility he demonstrated by giving testimony. Outside of my classroom, Tanish has also been an active member in multiple extracurricular activities, spending his time preparing for multiple gold-level speeches in county, regional, and state speech competitions, as well as pursuing his Eagle rank in Boy Scouts. As someone who has seen the climb to Eagle rank firsthand, I know how time consuming and challenging this can be. It requires a good handle of time management, fundraising, budgeting, correspondence, organization, and so much more. The ability to balance school work, speech competitions, and scouting responsibilities is a feat in and of itself. The kindness and charisma that Tanish brings to each of these activities is the extra icing on the cake. I wholeheartedly recommend Tanish Zutshi for the Dublin Youth Advisory Committee; he will be a kind and responsible asset to any team he joins. If you have any further questions, feel free to call me at , or email me at Sincerely, Jessica Shipps Jessica Shipps 653 654 3/30/22, 7:59 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4899 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4899 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* One of the most important skills I believe I possess to be a great candidate for the YAC is that I am a very patient person. In the face of animosity, I don’t panic and try and rush things. I deductively reason what the best possible solution to an issue is, and this can only be done with a calm mind. That’s why I believe that with my patient mind, I can help keep the committee calm and create calming activities with the YAC. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* One of the most significant issues I believe teens in Dublin deal with is stress in their studies. I’m sure that if you are the parent of a teenager or know of someone who is the parent of a teenager, you’ll understand what I’m talking about. Especially during our unique pandemic era, stress is at an all-time high, while mental health care is at an all-time low. I believe that to address this issue, we should incorporate COVID-friendly activities that both create a stress-free environment and help teens reconnect with each other. For example, we could host game nights or other in-school activities. YAC is the best committee to plan and execute these ideas as it is a committee for the teens, by the teens, meaning that it understands the audience it caters to the best out of all other committees. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* Currently, I’m involved as the president of Above and Beyond Leadership and Education, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing education to humanity. As for hobbies, I also do golf, kung-fu, and chess, and I move towards coding as a possible career. Despite having these activities, I would be more than happy to devote time each month to help out for YAC meetings and activities. I believe that creating change from these events is far more essential than solely focusing on my hobbies. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* As a Generation Z kid myself, the most correct answer would, of course, be social media. Social media allows you to combine great articles and media with an easy and widespread delivery method. With social media, I can take great pictures and videos of our events, post articles of the plan for the day, and send it to all teenagers who use social media (which is basically all teenagers in Dublin) in an efficient manner. I would also be happy to take any other suggestions or unique events like fundraisers that can greater increase participation. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* Recently, I’ve attended the 2021 Volunteer Recognition Event of the City of Dublin, which was on March 3rd, 2022. As the president of ABLE, we were nominated for an Organization of the Year award. In the meeting, I was introduced to Brandon Maskey, who introduced me to the YAC committee. He explained that this committee was focused on helping the youth, and if you wanted to implement new activities or new changes, the YAC was the best committee to do so. This is one of the biggest reasons why I decided to apply for the YAC. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 655 656 To Whom This May Concern, My name is Sherry Hu, a councilmember for the city of Dublin. It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend Braden Ou, a sophomore at the Quarry Lane School, for a position in the Youth Advisory Committee of Dublin. I have personally known him for five years, and he has consistently demonstrated his courage and aptitude to challenge himself with these years. He was an essential component of my campaign for council. Braden is also extremely selfless, willing to volunteer his time to make a better community for Dublin. He has donated clothes to the homeless, tutored low-income students, and helped to organize rallies to stop Asian hate. He is undoubtedly a positive force for our community. With all of students I have been worked with, Braden Ou still stands out as one of the most diligent people I have met. I strongly encourage you to consider adding him to your committee as you consider your applicants. He has the tenacity and patience for any challenge he receives, and I have no doubt that he will be a valuable addition to your team. Sincerely, Sherry Hu 657 658 659 3/29/22, 11:07 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4889 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4889 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* Being a Boy Scout has enhanced my life skills. I possess the following skills: - My family and teachers consider me humble, courteous, kind and respectful. - My friends and cousins confide and trust in me. - I am a strong team player and good listener. - I keep calm in stressful situations. - I enjoy volunteering, connecting to people and helping them out. - I am hard working, organized and responsible. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* Teens face lot of issues. Some of them are listed below: - Stress from multiple things like school performance, peer pressure, challenge to get into good college's are constant. As a YAC member, I would like to help youth by increasing awareness and promoting counseling. - Sedentary lifestyle choices. With phone and computers, many kids spent too much time on social media. I would help in planning and promoting more FREE outdoor activities like weekly or monthly community running, biking, hiking etc. - Family problems have increased during Covid and teens feel frustrated. I would like to promote more awareness towards it. - Acceptance. The diversity sometimes makes kids insecure about being accepted. I would participate in celebrating and educating different communities and traditions. - Bullying is a big challenge that kids feel. As a YAC member, I would advocate for more anti-bullying efforts. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* - Boy Scouts once a week on Tuesday. - Boxing 2 times a week. - Punjabi Khalsa school- learn Punjabi, Tabla, and Harmonium- Sunday. Yes, I will be able to manage my time and contribute efficiently and effectively towards the YAC meetings and activities. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* - By making the activities fun and not boring. - Kids love food. Provide discounted or free food at these events. - Have a variety of fairs: book fairs, job fair etc - Increasing awareness through social media. - Request sponsorship from local business to give prizes and free goodies. - Host healthy competitions and challenges like BMX trail, skate boarding, - Having a monthly shoutout - recognize youth for kindness, responsibility, anti-bullying - Celebrate diverse events and festivities - Have community projects like planting, community cleaning. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 660 661 662 663 3/29/22, 2:39 PM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4891 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4891 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* I believe I am the best candidate for the YAC. First of all, I have excellent speech and debate skills, which would let me convince anyone easily. This would especially help in the YAC since I would be able to convince others to choose the best for our city. Next, I have experience being in the Student Council and have a good idea of how the entire system works. To add on, I have taken Speech and Debate classes and have a great understanding of how the tax system works, our government 'hierarchy' etc. Lastly, I would like to say that I'm the Historian in the Cottonwood Creek Music Department. I've been there from the start, as the school was only created 4 years ago. After Covid-19 this is one of our first years conducting our Music Association. This makes it especially fun and busy since we establish many of the things that our school would need for the future. For all these reasons I think I am the perfect candidate for the YAC. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* The main issues, that teens in Dublin are facing right now are stress, due to school assignments and personal problems. By solving this problem, teens would be able to perform better in school while also being more positive. In order to solve this common but ‘menacing’ problem, the YAC could create programs throughout the schools in Dublin, promoting extra-curricular activities, so students have something to enjoy after school. The YAC could also support student electives, that students enjoy, by funding them more. This way students would be more supported and have less stress, and be more positive. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* Currently, I’m on a VEX Robotics team and a black belt in Kung Fu, and I still, take lessons in order to get higher degrees. I also will be volunteering in a Tamil School, which is a school for my mother tongue language. Lastly, I would also be on a few clubs in the next school year. I believe that I would be able to devote time to YAC meetings and activities every month. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* I would use social media as a tool to spread word for help if ever needed. This way I would be able to get a large audience of teens aware of any event or activity. I would also let my friends know to help with the city. In order to convince them to help, I would show why contributing to your own city is helpful and is needed. I would mainly point out what all other people have done for us as a city. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* No I have not. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 7. Provide at least one signed letter of recommendation from a non-family member (i.e. employer, counselor, teacher, coach, etc.). The letter of recommendation should be submitted with the application and must be received by the application deadline; otherwise, the application will be incomplete. 664 3/29/22, 2:39 PM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4891 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4891 4/4 8. A formal interview process for selected applicants may take place. Upload Letter of Recommendation (required).* Tran.pdf Upload 2nd Letter of Recommendation (optional) Sherratt.pdf Application materials must be submitted via this online application form. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2022. Applications or letters of recommendation will not be accepted after the deadline. 665 666 667 668 3/29/22, 2:44 PM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4893 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4893 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* I believe my public speaking, commitment, and leadership skills make me a good candidate for another term on the YAC. Another strong quality which I feel I've developed since my childhood is good listening skills, which helps me become socially responsible and observe the finer details. My first Public Speaking event was in 5th grade, when I gave a speech for the 5th grade graduation, and since then I’ve spoken in other events multiple times since then. As for my leadership skills, I believe I've exhibited them in various scenarios, whether it's my Martial Arts class, where I'm an assistant instructor working with small kids from 4-9 years of age. I’ve also had a lot of Cricket training camps and tournaments where I got the opportunity to represent my club at State level and lead the team as a Captain. Of course, this sport taught me the life lessons of success and failure several times. I believe that the opportunity I got to serve YAC as a committee member will be the strongest skill which I possess. I hope all these experiences which I've learned so far help me become a strong candidate for YAC. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* I believe that one of the major issues faced by teens in Dublin and other areas of California is stress and anxiety, as well as peer pressure, usually revolving around academics. Many students sacrifice their sleep and wellbeing for validation in the form of excellent grades, although some can spiral to depression with the pressure being put on them. Many others, on the other hand, are spending too much time on a wide plethora of electronic devices, which can hamper them from being socially and physically active. As part of the YAC, we can host specialized events for teens, such as bringing back the successful Youth Mental Health Forum which the Youth Advisory Committee helped organize this year. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* I’m currently a sophomore at Dublin High School, although I’ll become a Junior later next year. I’m currently the principal player for the viola section in the Dublin High Orchestra, and I will be continuing my membership in clubs such as Dublin High HOSA, CSF, and the National Honors Society, which have provided me with ample opportunities for community service this year. Next year, I’m applying to become a mentor for the Dublin High Freshman Mentor Program, where I’ll get opportunities to mentor freshmen and provide them proper guidance during their transition period from middle school to high school. I’m also a committee member for the Dublin YAC, as well as a member of several ad hoc committees for the YAC. I’ve also been playing Cricket for local clubs for the last 5 years, and I've also represented various leagues, including the Northern California Cricket Club. I’m also the current captain of the Dublin Cricket League Under-17 age group, representing my club in various tournaments in LA, Dallas, and North Carolina, despite only being 15 myself. I’m also part of the Instructor Assistant Program at my Martial Arts dojo, Empower Martial Arts. In this program, I’ve had the opportunity to mentor young martial artists as young as 4 to 10 years of age. With my proper planning and organizational skills, I’ve managed to give my full focus and best to each and every activity which I am involved in so far, including my academics, and I'll definitely be able to attend the monthly meetings regularly. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 669 670 671 672 3/29/22, 2:45 PM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4894 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4894 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* My experiences within and beyond school have allowed me to develop my communication, leadership, and creativity skills that I believe are necessary to become an effective member of the committee. Through my various competitions with our school’s Speech and Debate team, I have learned not only the value of having a voice but also the ability to look at both sides of all issues before making impactful arguments and counter arguments. As a three-year member of student council, I’ve had to live up to the obligation that I see as a representative of my fellow classmates. I’ve also been tested in many ways and forms to be an innovator as the Project Manager for my family’s charitable organization The Village of Dreams, where I’ve recently produced online STEM courses for needy kids. I now see myself applying these skills within my role on the committee on behalf of the teenagers of Dublin. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* In addition to the normal set of issues that teems in Dublin and elsewhere always face, these days they must also deal with the challenges of reconnecting with themselves and their community after a period when they were disconnected due to the restrictions of the pandemic. The committee could contribute to helping teens get together by hosting events designed specifically for teens while spreading the word of such activities through social media platforms such as Instagram. For instance, we could promote a Teen Fair within the confines of the Alameda County Fair that would give students a specific time and place to congregate amongst themselves. My experience with student council has taught me the importance of posting information in places where teens often frequent instead of relying simply on emails or word of mouth. If we do our job of making teens aware of our events, we can also reach our goal of motivating teens to form their own communities while becoming active member of our larger one. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* The more I have been involved in various activities, the more I have been able to make connections among them while applying my organizational skills to accomplish my goals. As the founder of our school’s chapter of our Village of Dreams non- profit organization, I rely on my experience in Student Council to take charge of groups of peers in order for them to share my passion as well as my knowledge. The same goes with my involvement in the outreach phase of our Robotics team, where we try to benefit our community while competing at the highest levels. The emphasis in Speech and Debate, of course, is on communication as we prepare and then perform our scripts on a local to a national level. My dancing and tutoring experience is on a more personal level. While I try to express my interests in classical to jazz on the stage, I try to reach as well as teach underprivileged kids in my one-on-one sessions. Just as I find time for all of those activities, I will find time to fulfill my commitment to the committee. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* I envision part of my role on the committee as not only to inspire fellow teens to become involved in community activities but to also inspire City of Dublin leaders to support our efforts. The public officials are the ones who have the resources we need to turn our ideas into action, and I would use my experience with my clubs and on the council to make convincing arguments that what is good for teens in the Dublin community is also good for the community itself. In addition to the previously mentioned example of using social media to target teens to join specific events at venues such as Emerald Glen Park, the library, or the community center, I would also spread the word at my high school as well as using neighborhood posts to make an even more direct appeal for teenagers to take part in our activities. I have found that the more enthusiastic I am about whatever I am involved with, the more likely it will be that others will share my enthusiasm. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 673 3/29/22, 2:45 PM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4894 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4894 4/4 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* No (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 7. Provide at least one signed letter of recommendation from a non-family member (i.e. employer, counselor, teacher, coach, etc.). The letter of recommendation should be submitted with the application and must be received by the application deadline; otherwise, the application will be incomplete. 8. A formal interview process for selected applicants may take place. Upload Letter of Recommendation (required).* Poluk S Dublin Youth Rec.pdf Upload 2nd Letter of Recommendation (optional) Poluk Sharma Recommendation.pdf Application materials must be submitted via this online application form. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2022. Applications or letters of recommendation will not be accepted after the deadline. 674 The Quarry Lane School Dublin Campus: Jr. Kindergarten-12th Grade 6363 Tassajara Rd. Dublin, CA 94568 P (925) 829-8000 F (925) 829-4928 Pleasanton Campus East: Infant/Toddler, PreS and PreK 3750 Boulder St. Pleasanton, CA 94566 P (925) 846-9400 F (925) 462-1066 www.quarrylane.org Pleasanton Campus West: Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten 4444B Black Ave. Pleasanton, CA 94566 P (925) 462-6300 F (925) 462-1066 “Education is a lifelong commitment”® March 25, 2022 Dear Colleagues, My name is Marcelo Aranda and I am the History and Social Science Department Chair at the Quarry Lane School (QLS) in Dublin, CA. I am writing to support Poluk Sharma’s application to the City of Dublin Youth Advisory Committee. QLS is an academically rigorous school that prepares students for university-level coursework. Therefore, in my history classes, I emphasize the close reading of primary and secondary sources and the craft of argumentative and analytical writing. Additionally, student assessments are not based on simple memorization, but instead on a student’s understanding of historical causation and the differences and similarities between distinct historical contexts. I first met Poluk as a tenth grader in my AP US History class during the year of 2021- 2022. I have been struck by Poluk’s curiosity, self-assurance, and natural aptitude for leadership. We do much primary source analysis and seminar discussion in the class and as a result of her speech and debate and student council experience Poluk is always ready and willing to engage in an exchange of ideas with her peers. Over the course of the year, we have learned much about the historical roots of the American political system and of the problems we continue to grapple with. I believe both these experiences will be of great help on the Dublin Youth Advisory Committee. In AP US and US History classes I run a Constitutional Convention scenario at the end of the Fall Semester in which students take the role of delegates at the Philadelphia Convention of 1787. Poluk played the role of Roger Sherman, a member of the Moderate Confederalist faction. By compromising and negotiating with the other three 675 The Quarry Lane School Dublin Campus: Jr. Kindergarten-12th Grade 6363 Tassajara Rd. Dublin, CA 94568 P (925) 829-8000 F (925) 829-4928 Pleasanton Campus East: Infant/Toddler, PreS and PreK 3750 Boulder St. Pleasanton, CA 94566 P (925) 846-9400 F (925) 462-1066 www.quarrylane.org Pleasanton Campus West: Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten 4444B Black Ave. Pleasanton, CA 94566 P (925) 462-6300 F (925) 462-1066 “Education is a lifelong commitment”® political factions, Poluk brokered a Constitution that reflected the consensus of all the factions. Her success in the Constitutional Convention was the result of the value she places on collaboration and problem-solving. Finally, I have observed that other students see Poluk as a leader, often asking her to weigh in on collective matters and seeing her as a good decision-maker. I believe that the experience of working on the Youth Advisory Committee will help Poluk become accustomed to working with a diverse array of individuals working towards a common end, skills which will have much use as she gets older. Once again, I whole-heartedly recommend Poluk Sharma for the Dublin Youth Advisory Committee. Best regards, Marcelo A. Aranda, Ph.D. History and Social Science Department Chair Quarry Lane School 676 The Quarry Lane School Dublin Campus: Jr. Kindergarten-12th Grade 6363 Tassajara Rd. Dublin, CA 94568 P (925) 829-8000 F (925) 829-4928 Pleasanton Campus East: Infant/Toddler, PreS and PreK 3750 Boulder St. Pleasanton, CA 94566 P (925) 846-9400 F (925) 462-1066 www.quarrylane.org Pleasanton Campus West: Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten 4444B Black Ave. Pleasanton, CA 94566 P (925) 462-6300 F (925) 462-1066 “Education is a lifelong commitment”® 18 March 2022 To Whom It May Concern: It is my very great pleasure to recommend Poluk Sharma for the Dublin Youth Advisory Committee. I have met with Poluk several times over the past two years, and I find her to be affable, articulate, confident, compassionate, uber-intelligent, and humble. Poluk is well-respected among her peers and our faculty. Poluk is one of the shining academic stars of our sophomore class, and she has also been actively involved in a number of leadership activities within our school and in the community as well. Here at Quarry Lane, she served on our Student Council as Vice President of our Freshman class last year, and she is currently serving as Sophomore class President. Poluk has also been active in Programming leadership with FRC Robotics and The Village of Dreams Family Charity. She is a successful debate team member and has won awards in Duo Interpretation and Humorous Interpretation. Poluk has been active in scientific research and other organizations as well, and I am continually impressed with how she seems to be able to juggle and achieve a balance with all of her academic work and her extracurricular activities. I think that Poluk will be a superb addition to the Dublin Youth Advisory Committee, and I am very happy to recommend her. Please feel free to reach out if more information is needed. Sincerely, Sandra Toms, MA/PPS Academic and College Counselor 677 678 3/29/22, 2:51 PM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4897 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4897 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* One skill I possess that would make me a strong candidate for the Youth Advisory Committee is a powerful ability to work with different types of people, and personality types. I approach both people and my work with a friendly and positive attitude which allows me greater productivity and better relationships with the people around me. While I greatly value enthusiasm and connecting with others, I also prioritize being responsible with my actions. Furthermore, I am a very organized person who values efficiency and accountability. I love organizing things, whether it be an activity or my planner, and my work is completed with my full attention on each detail. Finally, another skill I possess that would make me a strong candidate for the YAC, is an ability to think through problems and provide effective solutions. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* One issue the youth in Dublin are currently dealing with is the mass amounts of stress they receive from school. A large number of students are constantly on the verge of a breakdown and exhausted trying to keep up with the rigorous curriculum. The Youth Advisory Committee could propose the implementation and promotion of classes revolving around how to deal with stress as an activity that students can sign up for through the Dublin Recreation Guide. Furthermore, overcrowding in Dublin High School has been a problem for several years and the issue is only getting worse. While the city continues to build more homes, schools are being crammed with students in constant competition with each other and overworked teachers. The City is also negatively affected by this issue, as intense traffic plagues the streets both before and after school. Not only is it harming the quality of education we receive, but it is also damaging our mental health. YAC could collaborate with those on the school board and the people in charge of approving construction to find solutions for the overcrowding. As the new highschool will not be fully established until 2024, until that time it is imperative that any solution, even if temporary, is found to manage the surplus of students. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* Currently, I am involved in several clubs at Dublin High School including NHS, CSF, and Teen Tutors that I intend to remain in during the 2022 - 2023 school year. With these clubs I am given opportunities to volunteer and tutor elementary and middle school students. I also have a job in the fast food industry where I provide service to customers, and keep the workplace clean. Finally, during the 2022 - 2023 school year I have applied to become a freshman mentor at school, to uplift incoming freshman and give them someone they can turn to while navigating the confusion / terror that comes with entering highschool. I will be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities, and would make it a priority in my schedule. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* Using social media as a source of publicization is the primary way I would get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities. At school, a majority of students barely glance at the flyers and posters plastered on the walls or listen to daily announcements. Instead, they turn to the internet and social media to gain news of upcoming events in the community. Therefore, I would create multiple posts or digital flyers to promote any of the City’s activities. I would also partner with popular clubs on campus which are composed of a large number of students, such as Interact, CSF, or NHS, to publicize events and offer volunteer opportunities to the teenagers. Even if not everyone signs up to volunteer, the activity would still be broadcasted to a considerable number of students who, in turn, will notify their friends. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 679 680 March 19, 2022 To Whom It May Concern, It is my pleasure to write a letter of recommendation on behalf of Riva Jadhav. I highly recommend her as a candidate for the City of Dublin’s Youth Advisory Council. I am Camille Centeno, a recreation technician at the Dublin Senior Center, and have known Riva since May of 2021. During the Summer of 2021, and for a few events since, I acted as her supervisor while she volunteered at the Dublin Senior Center. Throughout this time, I had the pleasure of watching her interact with seniors, assist in special events, and help with administrative duties. Riva is a mature teen with many traits that make her a qualified candidate. She has an unwavering positive attitude and an approachable nature. At the Senior Center, she created a good impression on those she interacted with through this attitude and a kind disposition. Consistently, she displayed a readiness to help others and did not fail to make herself available to complete any task asked of her. Once assigned something, Riva applied her best effort to complete the task in an efficient and deliberate manner. She is also organized and responsible, with a great attention to detail. Throughout her time volunteering at the Senior Center, Riva demonstrated both an ability to bond with different types of people, despite differences in age or personality, and patience with each patron. One senior, in particular, had difficulties regarding his application to benefit from the senior fee assistance program and regularly inquired after the status of his application and his ability to participate in Senior Center activities. Weekly, Riva listened to and communicated with him in a gentle manner without growing irritated or showing signs of being agitated and distressed by the repetitive nature of his questions. Rather, she assisted him in any way she could and ensured to ease his concerns every week. Overall, I found Riva an enthusiastic and caring individual from whom the Youth Advisory Council would benefit in having. She would be a fine contributor to the council and I am happy to recommend her for this position. Sincerely, Camille Centeno Recreation Technician 681 682 3/29/22, 2:53 PM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4898 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4898 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* I think I would make a strong candidate for the YAC because of my leadership and execution qualities. I am able to handle a team well and can work with them collaboratively. It is important to arrive consensus while working together and I think that I can build the consensus for greater good. I am also very detail oriented which helps me in execution planning and delivering on those plans. I have been fortunate to be part of few committees and teams in my education & social life. In the year of 2018-19 I was selected to be part of a team which represented my school, Dougherty Elementary on the Dublin school district's student board advisory council. I have also enriched my leaderships skills by leading dance troops in my neighborhood as well as in my social circle. I have also taken initiative and planned youth events such as musicals, speeches, and skits in my sphere of influence. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* I think teens in Dublin is a very enthusiastic community but at the same time facing many problems related to education and future direction. Many are very stressed about their academics, as I have seen with my own peers as well. I have also noticed issues with social interactions, especially after coming back from online school and people seem to have gotten reclusive. In current times, it's becoming difficult to talk with others outside of close friends circle. I think for the future, it is important that people are able to reach out to everyone in different positions (like their peers, mentors, coaches, seniors and more) to get immediate support & guidance on current education gaps as well as to shape up the future. To solve this, the YAC team, who have members of similar age group and understand these struggles, could plan events for everyone, in school campuses and in the city of Dublin. These can be attached to academics but also for fun and/or for support for the section of community who are in need. Also I believe YAC should collaborate with the schools and can also plan events that can guarantee more participation from the today's youth. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* Outside of school, I learn hindustani classical music and practice kathak, a form of Indian classical dance. I have been doing both for more than 7 years and have given many performances. I am also a proud girl scout and participate in many activities through that, including volunteering. I am currently about to start my journey to attain the silver award which is one of the highest awards in girl scouting. In school, I am a part of CJSF where we do a lot of fundraisers for different charity services. In the 22-23 school year I hope to join certain clubs that interest me. To be specific, I am looking forward to join the speech and debate club to further enhance my speaking skills as well as thought leadership. I have also applied for the freshman leadership class which will align into many things with YAC. I will be able to devote time to YAC meetings and activities because this is something I am passionate about. I would like to learn from the experiences and take whatever opportunities I get to better myself and the community. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 683 684 685 686 3/30/22, 8:04 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4901 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4901 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* I believe I have a variety of unique skills that would make me a great candidate for the YAC. I am the captain of my cricket team because the coaches know my leadership potential. I work very well in teams and know how to interact with others. I often come up with creative ideas to solve problems. I have a good sense of humor, and I take my responsibilities seriously. Once I am committed to a cause, I make sure I spend enough time on the commitments. I am a competitive chess player who has won a lot of awards in chess, which involves strategic thinking and advanced planning. I can also play 4 different musical instruments, which involve multitasking. These are some of the skills that I think will help me be a great YAC member. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* Some of the problems that people I know at school, in sport teams, and other groups are experiencing are stress and anxiety. In fact, the surgeon general of the United States has called anxiety an epidemic. Anxiety can result from several things, namely academic pressure, social pressure, environment, etc. YAC can help create a safe space where teens who are depressed/anxious can feel comfortable to discuss their problems. Another problem teens are facing is drug use/vaping. This is a very serious and ongoing issue that needs to be addressed by customized programs that spread awareness and are led by the Dublin Youth. The presentations can be integrated in schools, as a part of after school clubs. Another problem is vandalism and destruction of public property that is affecting youth. This ongoing problem at different schools needs to be addressed and we need to come up with creative solutions. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* During the 2022-2023 school year, I will be involved only in sports, mainly cricket, the year-long sport I have been pursuing since I was 7 years old. I am currently part of the Fallon Marching band but I don't plan to be part of the marching band in high school which will free up a lot of my time. Therefore I will be able to devote sufficient time to YAC for the meetings and follow up activities that are planned. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* To get other teens involved in the community, I would first spread awareness about the committee everywhere I can, namely my school, enrichment/after school clubs, neighborhood groups, and sports teams. I would seek help from my coaches and teachers to help spread the word and make announcements. I would contact the editors of my high school’s publication to write an article about how YAC is helping and how teens can be involved in the initiatives and finally do word of mouth to let them know about YAC led initiatives. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* I have attended many city council meetings to request equitable options for use of park facility for Dublin youth. I also tuned in to meetings to hear about Dublin's endangered eagles and how we can protect them. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 687 688 689 690 3/29/22, 10:27 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4876 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4876 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* In the past couple of years, I have actively engaged in all sorts of community events, in which I have gathered a series of necessary skills to run projects for the YAC. Having started my own non-profit, I am incredibly sensitive to the problems that need to be addressed in the community and how to get one step closer to solving such issues. Additionally, throughout my experience with running projects and hosting events, I’ve learned that organization is one of the critical elements to running any successful project. I can manage my time and complete all the tasks I have on hand to their fullest and go beyond what I typically ask. Though, I would say that my strongest trait is my resilient nature. I’m not one to give up on a small challenge or even what may be perceived as a larger struggle. Through difficult times, I can empower those around me to work through drawbacks together. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* One of the most prominent issues plaguing the youth of Dublin in the status quo is the negative influence of social media on mental health and the harsh reality of peer pressure in high school. Within the past year, many internet trends have arisen, leading to a negative influence on students' behavior at school. However, there are very few consequences and no real way to contain the spread of dangerous internet trends. Despite this fact, I believe we should still make a valiant attempt in which programs to educate students on their social media presence are put into place to try and explain the detriments of blindly following internet trends. Additionally, it is becoming more and more of a problem for students to succumb to peer pressure. Due to the competitive academic environment, many students are resorting to alcohol or drugs to relieve their stresses, and peer pressuring their friends to partake in such activities. To combat these issues, I think we should make mental health resources seem more accessible, whether that be working directly with the Wellness Center to encourage more student-on- student interaction or starting a new program altogether. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* I know for sure that I will be able to devote time to monthly YAC meetings and activities. I am currently involved with the Dublin Shield Newspaper, the Breaking Bearriers Club, golf, art, and the Dublin Mayor’s Council. These activities have taught me how to manage my time properly and arrange my schedule to be available for any important event while completing all of my tasks to the fullest. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* One of the most critical aspects of increasing civic engagement is making teens feel represented within the community. More often than not, teens feel isolated from the community and avoid civic engagement if they struggle to connect with projects on a personal level. Thus, it is vital to regularly host events designed to address specific problems common to all teens. Additionally, very few teenagers understand the actual value of community involvement, making it imperative to emphasize that everyone can make an impact no matter how ‘small’ the action seems. One of my biggest priorities- if selected to be a committee member- would be to pay extra care and attention to the problems teens face and present suitable solutions. Additionally, I would promote such events to those around me and host live streaming sessions where students can ask questions to learn more about the event. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 691 692 All Dublin Students Will Become Lifelong Learners PRINCIPAL Maureen Byrne ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS Paul Faris Dianne Santamorena Krista Taylor Lenni Velez Jenn Nickl Whitney Dwyer DUBLIN HIGH SCHOOL GOLD RIBBON SCHOOL 8151 Village Parkway, Dublin, CA 94568 ⧫925-833-3300⧫ FAX 925-833-3322 To whom it may concern, Since meeting Summer Shi in my AP European History course I have gotten to know her extremely well. Summer developed into a fine young person with great potential for personal growth and successes. From the moment I meet Summer to this point I have seen her establish the building blocks for their future and the successes she will obtain. At the outset of our first meeting I could tell she was a bit indecisive and shocked by the rigorous demands at the high school level. I am extremely proud of Summer’s growth over the last semester. She has matured into an individual that has developed deep empathy and extreme perseverance as seen through their hardwork and dedication to become a better student and individual. Summer developed the important trait of hard work since the moment I met her in AP European History and each moment after. She fostered a desire to become an active participant in their community and become even more hard working. It is their work in their extra curriculars such as the Breaking Barriers club, the Dublin Shield, and the Dublin High golf team that I see massive growth as an individual. I am truly in awe of the amount of maturity that occurred over the last semester; most of which I believe she acquired through a sense of community that she achieved while working with her peers to promote safe social events and instruct in the fundamentals of golf. It has not only been Summer’s individual growth but their sense of community as a student that contributed to their maturity and individuality. Summer shows continued resiliency as she overcomes academic obstacles which have greatly influenced their outlook in school and in life. Since I met her I have seen Summer overcome the challenges of taking rigorous courses post-pandemic such as AP European History, AP Biology, and AP Calculus and find success through time management, perseverance, and hard work. I am extremely proud of the perseverance shown by Summer since the first time we met until the present. It is truly gratifying to be able to see the individual growth and perseverance of Summer working through both her academics and extracurriculars. I am excited for Summer’s future because I know she will be able to obtain personal success and use their future success not only to achieve their goals but to give back to their community. It is with great pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation for Summer Shi. I know she has the ability to not only thrive and achieve at your institution, but repay this opportunity by tremendously adding her own hardwork and dedication to your institution. Thank you for your time. Gregory Rodriguez, M. Ed. Dublin High School Social Science Department -AP European History, AP Human Geography www.dublinusd.org/dhs 693 694 3/29/22, 10:30 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4878 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4878 3/5 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* I possess various skills that make me a strong candidate and member of the YAC. A partial list of my skills and experience include: Leadership/Communication skills I contain leadership and communication skills that could immensely help the YAC in its path for change in our city. As a basketball player, I understand how important working with a team can be. If you don’t share the ball the defenders have the ability to steal it. Whereas, if you pass the ball, you have the opportunity to score. Furthermore, I am a tutor and work with younger kids at my middle school with their studies, and plan to start a company of my own to teach music in my community. In the YAC,I know I can work with others to better achieve our goal and hone it to perfection. Arts and Music In addition to some of the various soft skills, I possess described above. I have been learning South Asian and Western vocal and instrumental music since the age of 5 and have participated and performed in various local and cultural events in and around Dublin. This has made me more aware of the cultural diversity present in our city and will help me understand the medley of needs of youth in our city while participating in the YAC. Also, music is a universal language, and with my knowledge, it can bring the community and city of Dublin together. Service I feel it is important to help others and to participate in my community.Therefore, whether it be serving at local homeless shelters or, or volunteering at nursing homes. I work to make every contribution I can to help people around me, and I aim to achieve a similar goal through helping people through the YAC. I have (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* A teen has a variety of problems to deal with, from homework and good grades to balancing to extracurriculars as well. According to data collected by the American Psychological Association for the Stress in America Survey, teen stress rivals that of adults. Results of the survey show that not only do teens identify that their stress levels are not healthy, but they also underestimate the impact stress has on their mental and physical health. And these causes of stress must be reduced, so with the efforts of the YAC, it can be made possible. These are a partial list of problems and solutions the YAC could implement in our city. Depression/Social Anxiety Social Anxiety is an issue that is left unaddressed in adolescence may lead to an increased risk of other mental health problems later in life such as depression and other serious consequences. The YAC could play a crucial role in helping teens with such problems. For example, the committee organized assemblies in schools to raise awareness and gauge different levels of anxiety both at schools and at home. By educating teens about this problem and its future impact, they could learn that there is nothing wrong with asking for help and overcoming their problems. Self Image/Physical Activity The CDC released results of a study that found that 22% of children and adolescents had obesity last August, up from 19% one year prior. The study showed that children with healthy weight were gaining an average of 3.4 lb per year before the pandemic but gained 5.4 lb per year during the pandemic. The YAC could conduct walks to counter this problem, while also gaining valuable fundraising for the school and community. College Readiness As many teens aim for colleges and furthering their learning. Many struggles to find activities and accomplishments to keep under their belt to enter these schools. In turn, the YAC could introduce activities in the community to help these students with volunteer hours and more. Not only would this benefit teens through academic success but also bring more participation in community-related activities or events. So while a teen may have a seemingly endless list of problems, the YAC can easily improve and make a change in our city’s teens' livelihood. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 695 3/29/22, 10:30 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4878 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4878 4/5 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* I am currently enrolled in CJSF and the competitive speech and debate forum, participating in NorCal tournaments. Outside of school, I continue to learn western and South Asian vocals and instrumentals. Furthermore, I play with a travel basketball team. I have been participating in food drives and have volunteered at various shelters and events in and out of Dublin. Any of my academic or extracurricular activities will not be a hindrance to my active participation in the YAC. My music classes are held early in the morning at 6 am on weekends, and basketball practice timings are very flexible at the moment, and will be in the future as well. Given that, I am confident that I will be able to devote adequate time and effort to engaging in YAC meetings, managing other extracurriculars and activities. To conclude, I am very excited about the opportunity to work with YAC and look forward to actively engaging with the committee. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* Dublin has a plethora of fun activities for all of its inhabitants, like the farmers market, splatter, and much more (now mostly postponed due to the pandemic). But how can our community bring the fun and participation out of the teens of Dublin? In order to get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities. I would try to incorporate the interests of a teen into the various events. Provide recognition for students In high school, most kids are all doing activities in which they can get volunteer hours and other accomplishments they can put on college applications. Therefore, the YAC could provide recognition and multiple platforms in which these students could both serve their communities and gain valuable experience for their future. Allow youth to conduct these events and play a role in leading them Teens should be able to lead events and facilitate them as well because not only will it allow them to incorporate their interests. It would also teach teens valuable skills on how to stay organized and bring pieces together to create an end product with other teens. It would also cultivate leaders that will help our country as functioning members of society. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* I have observed a Dublin Commission and City Council meeting online. During a regular meeting, the council began to talk about the dealing of the heritage trees in order to better upgrade parking routes and a residential area. While I was watching the broadcast, I was especially interested in the changes and decisions that were made during the meeting, and how it could change noticeable aspects of Dublin. In this instance, a decision to add an entirely new residential area was discussed and also, natural landmarks were discussed in the meeting as well. I think this was extremely important and had a few ideas myself while watching the meeting. For example, in my opinion, I would propose to just keep the heritage trees in their native positions and build accordingly to make the entry routes for the residential area. Redwood trees are milestones and are signs of the original land of Dublin, so they should not be compromised for a small amount of land. Even as the trees fit the requirements of the Heritage Tree Ordinance of 1999, they provided no set of harm to the community, and could be easily built around. Therefore, the destruction of the trees is not necessary. In the YAC, I hope to be able to discuss these same issues with my passion to help that could change our community for years to come. The YAC is meant to serve the city of Dublin, and I know I can do this job to the best of my abilities. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 7. Provide at least one signed letter of recommendation from a non-family member (i.e. employer, counselor, teacher, coach, etc.). The letter of recommendation should be submitted with the application and must be received by the application deadline; otherwise, the application will be incomplete. 696 697 March 23rd 2022 To whom it may concern: It is with great pleasure that I am recommending Shoumik Manthana to the Dublin Youth Advisory Committee. I’ve known Shoumik for a few years now through the Sai organization our families are involved in and I am currently his teacher in the Sai Educare program. Shoumik would be a great asset to YAC. He is talented, compassionate and demonstrates leadership skills in any activity he’s involved in. He enjoys being involved in the community and has contributed in many ways by participating in food drives and volunteering at various shelters and events in and out of Dublin. As part of his school’s CJSF program, he tutors young kids. He currently participates in competitive NorCal speech and debate tournaments and is part of the youth traveling basketball team. Apart from all these activities, Shoumik enjoys music, vocal and instrumental. He very enthusiastically participates in devotional programs in our Sai organization, playing tabla, a percussion instrument and as a lead singer. I believe Shoumik will be an excellent fit in the YAC program. He is genuinely interested in helping youth and teens in the community. He has demonstrated leadership skills, dedication and strive for excellence through various activities he is involved in. Sincerely, Radhika Prabhala (Educare teacher, Sri Satya Sai Baba center, Tri-valley) 698 699 3/29/22, 10:50 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4879 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4879 3/4 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* Skills I possess are communication, organization, as well as problem-solving. These skills would make me a strong candidate for YAC as they can help me make smart decisions as well as keep up with tasks and activities. I am also comfortable leading a group of people efficiently as I have been involved in my school’s leadership committee since I was in 5th grade. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* I believe some of the main issues teens are facing and are dealing with are anxiety, stress, and self-confidence. Countless teens suffer with or have suffered from self-esteem and self-confidence in themselves, which can sometimes lead to self-harm. I think YAC could address this issue by having fundraisers and ways to address and spread awareness about these issues so more teens can seek help if they need to. We could also make “Self Care Bags” with a few comforting items (encouraging notes, face masks, gum, etc.) and distribute them to the middle/high schools. Other issues teens are facing with are anxiety and stress. Although they are two different things they have similar ties, there are many causes of stress and can take a big toll on someone. We could host fun events like movie nights, Color Runs, or “yoga sunsets” to relieve stress. These events would be a low cost to YAC but extremely memorable for students. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* I am currently in leadership at my middle school and have applied to be part of the leadership at the high school next year. I am also involved on a volleyball team at and outside of school. Yes, I will be able to dedicate and commit to YAC meetings as well as activities each month during the 2022-2023 school year. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* I would get other teens involved in the community by making and hosting fun events like fundraisers, movie nights, and season/holiday activities. We could also create a survey and send it out to students or ask teachers in schools to have everyone in their 5th or 6th period fill it out. This survey could include various poll questions about students’ interest, events they would want to attend, and comments/concerns question at the end. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* I have not attended a YAC council meeting. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 7. Provide at least one signed letter of recommendation from a non-family member (i.e. employer, counselor, teacher, coach, etc.). The letter of recommendation should be submitted with the application and must be received by the application deadline; otherwise, the application will be incomplete. 700 3/29/22, 10:50 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4879 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4879 4/4 8. A formal interview process for selected applicants may take place. Upload Letter of Recommendation (required).* letter of reccomendation- birge.pdf Upload 2nd Letter of Recommendation (optional) letter of reccomendation-waltner.pdf Application materials must be submitted via this online application form. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2022. Applications or letters of recommendation will not be accepted after the deadline. 701 702 703 704 3/29/22, 10:57 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4882 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4882 3/5 1. Why do you want to become a member of the City of Dublin Youth Advisory Committee (YAC)?* I’ve spent most of my life in Dublin and I’ve grown to love this city for everything it’s given me, from amazing friends, to huge parks, to super helpful teachers. I want to give back to Dublin and continue to connect with the Dublin community. Last summer, I was a volunteer at the Dublin LEAD program, where I got to work at the Wave and do a bag check for all the people entering the waterpark. While doing the bag check, I got to talk to so many people from Dublin, all of whom came from different neighborhoods and backgrounds. I talked to Dublin residents who were adults, senior citizens, small kids, and teens, and hearing about how long they’ve lived in Dublin and how much they love the city made me feel so much more connected to Dublin. I want to continue connecting with the Dublin community and helping out wherever I can while meeting new people. I also want to continue empowering teenagers and young adults in Dublin and give them opportunities to contribute to the community and become more engaged with all of the events and activities. Joining the YAC would allow me to be the voice of the youth and represent them within the city government. I know that many teens want to be more involved with Dublin and take part in city events, but a lot of my friends have told me that they didn’t know how to find volunteering opportunities. With the help of the YAC, I want to make it more accessible for teens to find such opportunities and encourage them to take part in everything that Dublin has to offer! One idea I have for this is to help teens in the community host their own events that the city could sponsor. Since teens can relate to one another, I believe that if they could host some city events, more teens and people their age would come to it. Many city events like Splatter or the Saint Patrick's Day Parade are organized by adults and I believe that if people my age could also help organize such events, much more youths would come to the city events. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* Some of my strongest skills are teamwork, leadership, and creativity, and I think they make me a strong candidate for the YAC! First, I love working with others and collaborating through teams. I enjoy working together with friends and people from my community. This past Thanksgiving, my friend and I organized a toy drive collecting $300 in cash and 34 toys to a drive organized by Luso-American Financial in Dublin to bring holiday cheer to local families. When my friend and I first gave out flyers, we only got three toy donations the first week. We were very upset but we did not give up. Instead, we teamed up with some adults, went door to door to get donations and we were able to collect 34 toys in total! I also believe I have strong leadership skills. Being part of the Student Council at Fallon Middle School, I’m in the Leadership class, where I’ve learned a lot about decision-making and planning events that make our school a better place. Every week, student council members like myself have to decide whether or not to approve certain expenses, like funding for a club or purchasing new items for the classroom, which has taught me how to make decisions based on the possible consequences. Organizing a school event, especially with COVID-19 restrictions, took a lot of planning and I take pride in working with other leadership students to set up the events and run them. I’m also a super creative person and I love tinkering in my free time! I love making experimenting with my 3D printer and making things for everyday use, like a bag holder, adjustable wrench, organizer for USB drives, and more. I design and print things to assist my parents, and am working on building toys for kids with special needs. My 3D printer lets me create whatever I want to create and create items that can’t be found in any store or shopping place. I also compete in CAD competitions to create models of an item that fit a certain theme, like a toy for disabled kids. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 705 3/29/22, 10:57 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4882 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4882 4/5 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* I believe that stress management is a really big issue within the youth and the teen community at Dublin, and I think that there are many ways that the YAC can support them! I know that many of my friends and my older sister’s friends face a lot of stress, so organizing events and activities to help decrease stress would really help teens. Some examples of events could be movie nights, free yoga classes, meditation exercises, and workshops! These would give teens the opportunity to get together with their friends and spend some time relaxing before a stressful test. I’ve also noticed from my sister that many teens are especially stressed this time of the year (February-April) because of upcoming AP Exams and Finals, and the city could help them by organizing study sessions with tutors and other professionals such that students receive support and help with what they are struggling with. Another problem that a lot of teens in Dublin face is mental health. Even though mental health is a more widely accepted concept right now than it used to be, I believe that the YAC can lead some initiatives to help teams navigate their mental health and control stress and anxiety. YAC can work with mental health clinics and professionals to create mental health workshops for teens and give them resources and connections to seek help if they ever need it. Lastly, I’ve noticed from my friends and classmates that a lot of youth in Dublin want to become more involved with the city and volunteer, but they don’t know where to find these opportunities. A lot of youth are also unaware of the smaller events happening around the city. I think that creating a platform or online bulletin board listing the volunteer opportunities and events happening through the City of Dublin and other Dublin-based organizations would encourage a lot more teens to become involved. For example, I know that the Youth Benefit Concert is an event that the YAC organizes to encourage youth to become involved with the city and community, but creating more volunteer opportunities and publicizing the event to larger youth crowds would tremendously increase audience turnout. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* One of my favorite things to do in my free time is play basketball! I used to play in my backyard with my dad until I was in fifth grade, which was when I began playing on a competition team. I used to play basketball through a team within the East Bay Bulldogs, but I decided to switch teams so that I could play more competitions during my weekends. I currently play for a team in Top Performance Basketball, and I get to play a couple of basketball games every weekend against other teams in the Bay Area! I love playing basketball because it’s the perfect way for me to get active and play a sport while collaborating with my teammates and learning new strategies from my coach. I plan to continue playing basketball in 9th grade, and I’m excited to try out for the high school team. I’m also planning to join the Robotics team in high school next year! I’ve always loved building things and tinkering around, and I participated in a couple of different robotics camps and programs in middle school. During quarantine, I spent a lot of time learning about VEX robotics and building my own mini robots, and also experimenting with writing code to program the robot and make it perform specific tasks. I want to put these skills to the test by building a robot with a robotics team! Lastly, I’ve always been interested about organizing community events and initiatives. For the past two years, I’ve organized a Dublin drive to collect used and new toys, as well as canned food, for the Luso-American Financial, which would distribute the toys and food to families around the community. I’ve had a really fun time organizing this toy drive because I get to work with my friends to advertise the drive in my neighborhood and tell people about why they should donate. Last year, we collected 34 toys and $300 in cash, and the year before that, we collected over 180 pounds of food! I want to plan another drive with my team for this fall. I’m confident that I’ll be able to devote enough time towards YAC meetings and events alongside all of these other activities! (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 706 3/29/22, 10:57 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4882 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4882 5/5 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* I know that Dublin already has a strong social media presence and posts about upcoming events and things happening around the city, but since teens are very tech-savvy, it would be really cool to introduce new social media challenges to get teens more involved. Dublin could post on the social media about doing a new scavenger hunt every month or creating a Dublin Wordle, which would make teens very interested in staying updated about the events happening in the city. Through the YAC, I also want to open up more volunteer opportunities for youth and teens to volunteer at city-wide events. I know that a lot of my friends enjoy volunteering at events like the St. Patrick’s Day festival, Splatter, and Dublin Pride Week, but they’ve often mentioned how the volunteer spots get filled up, or that they don’t get to volunteer alongside their friends and classmates. Introducing more volunteer initiatives, like creek cleanups and beautification projects, would encourage more teens to get their volunteer hours signed while also having fun. Lastly, I believe that Dublin can organize more teen-centered events to increase youth involvement. A lot of the Dublin events are made for everyone, including children, youth, adults, and senior citizens, but having some events be focussed just towards teens may get them more involved. Dublin’s current teen events, like the Youth Job and Career Fair, are really awesome, but I believe that we can create even more youth events! Some ideas I have are creating a teen makeathon, doing a stress management class, and helping high school seniors with their college applications for free. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* Yes, I attended the YAC meeting on March 23rd, 2022. I listened to the YAC members discuss about a round table event for Tri-Valley youth committees where members from Dublin, San Ramon, Danville and Livermore come together, which sounded fun. They also spoke about the new Cultural Arts Center, how it came about and even appointed a YAC member to assist with the business plan. An outcome from the meeting that got me very excited, was the teen hackathon. For the longest time I have done hackathons with my friends, we always go against high schoolers and even college graduates, which puts us at a disadvantage. This YAC meeting, the YAC members discussed about hosting a hackathon for my age group (11-13 years), which I am looking forward to participating with my friends this Spring! (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 7. Provide at least one signed letter of recommendation from a non-family member (i.e. employer, counselor, teacher, coach, etc.). The letter of recommendation should be submitted with the application and must be received by the application deadline; otherwise, the application will be incomplete. 8. A formal interview process for selected applicants may take place. Upload Letter of Recommendation (required).* Adi Jain Letter of Recommendation.pdf Upload 2nd Letter of Recommendation (optional) Youth Advisory Committee-Letter of recommendation - Google Docs.pdf Application materials must be submitted via this online application form. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2022. Applications or letters of recommendation will not be accepted after the deadline. 707 Eleanor Murray Fallon Middle School Dublin Unified School District March 18th, 2022 To Whom It May Concern: Thank you for taking the time to consider my student, Adi Jain, for a position on the Dublin Youth Advisory Committee. I have been Adi’s science teacher for the current school year at Fallon Middle School. The students at this school are extremely hard-working and academically driven, and Adi Jain ranks among the finest of them. As a student, Adi is all a teacher could ask for. In class, he is always very attentive and engaged with the lesson content. He needs very little redirection or even instruction, as he is very self-motivated and self-disciplined. He has the intelligence to work and learn autonomously, but is not too proud to ask for help when he doesn’t understand the nuances of a topic. In my class Adi consistently scores well on assignments and tests while being an active participant in class discussions. As a person, Adi is compassionate and wants to leave a positive imprint on the world around him. He cares about his peers. He cares about his community. He’s a proactive individual who wants to put more good into the world. As part of our school leadership council, Adi has helped organize and execute countless events and activities including fundraisers, assemblies, and lunch-time games. Fallon Middle School is a better place because of Adi Jain, and I have no doubts that the city of Dublin and the Youth Advisory Committee will be as well. What really sets Adi apart from his peers is that he is very conscientious, socially aware, and mature for his age. He is one of few students who takes the initiative to contact me when he has to miss school. If you are looking for ambitious, competent individuals who are invested in their community and want to make Dublin an even better place for people of all ages, I strongly recommend you accept Adi Jain’s application. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Matt Gibson Science Teacher Fallon Middle School 3601 Kohnen Way • Dublin • California 94568 • (925) 875-9376 • Fax (925) 829-7260 • www.fms.dublinusd.org 708 Youth Advisory Committee To whom it may concern: As the lead teacher of the World Language Department at Fallon middle school, I am writing to you in support of Mr. Adi Jain and his desire to join the Youth Advisory Committee. Adi has been my student for close to a year and he has shown academic aptitude and ambition that reaches above and beyond. Adi is in my French class. He has often made critical points on class discussions that demonstrated his exceptional ability to analyze French literature and grammatical concepts. His written work is exemplary and often lauded by the class. He demonstrates a critical mind when discussing aspect of French culture and history. Adi is an asset to any social interactions in class and provide support and critical feedback to her peers. Adi speaks in the target language any chance he gets and assists students in pursuing the same goal. Adi’s curiosity about the inner workings of language along with his drive for higher education is what makes him such an exceptional student. Without reservation, I highly recommend Adi for your program. Please do not hesitate to contact me to provide you with any further information regarding Mr. Adi Jain. Best regards, Jimmy Couris Lead teacher World Language Department Fallon Middle School. 709 3/29/22, 11:05 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4888 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4888 3/5 1. Why do you want to become a member of the City of Dublin Youth Advisory Committee (YAC)?* I want to become a member of the Dublin Youth Advisory Committee because I believe that, in a community, everyone deserves a chance to have their voice heard. When I first moved to Dublin in 2016, I was honestly surprised by the number of events there were. I remember being excited as a fifth-grader when I saw the number of activities there were for children to participate in. As a tenth-grader now, I look back on it and want to help create more experiences like that for youth. I would love to be able to be a part of the YAC to plan new activities to captivate Dublin’s youth. My experiences as a student have opened my eyes to the amount of diversity within our community, most of which isn’t very represented. For example, I find that my peers tend to stay quiet about things they may be struggling with, like mental health, sexuality, or gender. Since the YAC works on creating activities for the youth of our community, I thought this would be a great opportunity to bring up these topics. As someone who is a part of the LGBTQ+ community, I found that Dublin doesn’t have any big events around this sub- community, or at least nothing that is very publicly advertised within schools. Regarding the mental health of students, I’ve found that most of my peers are hesitant to discuss the topic and their personal issues in an open setting due to the stigma surrounding such topics. Even though Dublin High has made fantastic strides forward regarding both of these groups (specifically with the implementation of a wellness center), it is important to promote these resources so students would actively utilize the support network this city has built for them. . If I were to become a YAC member, I would focus on bringing awareness to these groups, projecting their voices, and ensuring that they are aware of the resources available to them. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 2. What skills do you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the YAC?* Some skills that I have, that I believe make me a good candidate for the YAC, are that I am organized, punctual, and dedicated. I have spent my time in quite a few extra-curricular activities. Some of the long-term activities I have been involved in are Bharatanatyam (dance), art, martial arts, and orchestra. I have been a part of my high school’s robotics team for the past two years, and I currently run my own Indian Arts Club. Being a part of a dance group for essentially my entire life, starting at age 4, I learned valuable skills like organization, teamwork, time management, punctuality, and so much more. Since I have been doing dance the longest, the skills I learned there translated into other clubs and extracurricular activities that helped me refine these skills, as well as develop others. Growing up, I always felt a strong sense of community and constantly was at social gatherings that related to my culture. I wanted to bring that feeling into my school by starting an Indian Arts Club since I always found myself drawn towards the arts of my culture. Starting my own club was a step into my own independent sense of leadership, which really needed me to be organized and punctual in order to smoothly run the meetings. I had to coordinate with the club board and our club supervisor to plan meeting, keep track of members, and recently we have been organizing a performance for Dubversity. I have been a part of Orchestra since 6th grade, and in 8th I was given the responsibility of being a section leader for the 2nd violins. It was my first real lunge into an important leadership role and also helped me with my communication skills. Martial arts and robotics helped me with my confidence to actually speak out about my opinions. Balancing these classes alongside normal schooling really tests my time management skills. As most people would be, I was not very good at a lot of these activities when I started, but, through my dedication for wanting to learn these topics that each class or activity covers, I persisted. By continuing them and not giving up, I was able to learn a variety of skills that other people have helped me refine. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 710 3/29/22, 11:05 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4888 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4888 4/5 3. What do you believe are issues teens in Dublin are currently dealing with, and how do you think YAC could address these issues?* I think a big issue within teens that needs to be addressed is the diversity we have, which creates a want for belonging. Everyone is so different from one another, but we also seek comfort within our peers. From the people I have spoken to, teens are struggling with mental health issues that are rarely addressed, or if they are, they aren’t properly advertised. Having to live through such an impactful part of world history, that being COVID-19, and suddenly having to change how you live your life is a lot for anyone, more so teenagers who are struggling with just finding themselves. I found that going back to in-person school created a whole new wave on anxiety around social situations and school in general. I did fairly well academically through the virtual school, but it took a toll on my social skills. Coming to an in-person school this year led to the exact opposite happening, where I felt very overwhelmed with school work but I found social interactions to be easier. I found that quite a few of my friends felt the same way. We could hold a public forum, whether physical or online so that people can talk about their experiences. If this forum were to be online, it could give more people a voice, since some students may not feel comfortable talking about experiences face-to-face with strangers. It would also be more accessible since some people have a hard time finding free slots to attend events, so it being online could allow more people to participate in their free time. If this forum were a physical, in-person, activity, people might have an easier time meeting people and becoming friends with others who can relate to their experiences. Similarly, I found that Dublin has no Pride events or at least none that have been advertised towards teens. Personally, a lot of my friends and classmates identify as members of that community, but I see barely any representation. I think it would be beneficial to our community that, as the YAC, an event is arranged so that members of the LGBTQ+ community feel more welcome. Since June is Pride month, it might be a good time to start the idea and arrange a Pride Parade for the members of our community and advertise towards teens. Apart from the one month of June, there are other important days that surround LGBTQ+ history, and we could plan for things to be arranged during those, or simply put out informational guides explaining why it is significant. The main issue surrounding teens is that we have a hard time finding a proper place to voice our opinions, so the YAC could help create a safe space for our youth to do that. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What activities are you currently involved in or will be involved in during the 2022-2023 school year, and will you be able to devote time each month for YAC meetings and activities?* Currently, I do dance, martial arts, and art outside of school. In connection to my school, I am part of our orchestra, robotics team, and run my own club. Apart from all of this, I also work a job at The Art Process on Fridays. Over the 2022-2023 school year, I plan to continue dance, martial arts, art, robotics, and my club. I will also continue to work, though my schedule for that may change. Overall, my workload would be about the same, the major difference being that I will not be a part of my school orchestra. I am, however, looking for out-of-school youth orchestras that I can join. Since I am already used to balancing these activities, I would be able to use my time management skills to devote time towards the YAC. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 5. How would you get other teens involved in the community, teen events, and City-sponsored activities?* Since teens now use social media a lot, I think the main form of advertising would be through there. I would use different social media, like Instagram or Discord, in order to create communities and encourage teens to join the events and City-sponsored events. I have some experience with digital art and graphic design, so I feel that I would be able to put to use those skills when advertising. As mentioned before, I run a club in my school and I need to make advertisements for the promotion of meetings. I have been able to navigate apps like Discord, which a lot of teens use for communication, and successfully make servers designed for large groups. So far, I have ran two private servers for fairly large groups of friends, and I currently run one semi- public server with my friend that was designed for our school's PLTW Biomedical Academy. Though it is informal, a lot of student have joined and do discuss their class on there. I know a lot of teens feel a disconnect in social activities due to the break in “normal” events we had from COVID-19. By posting on different social platforms, I would get more youth interested in, as well as raise general awareness about, the events that we hold. Personally, I knew very little about these events until I had some friends tell me about them. The only things I knew were that the events happened, but I had a hard time finding exact dates, times, and locations for them. With proper advertising, we could increase awareness and interest in these events so that more teens participate. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 711 3/29/22, 11:05 AM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4888 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4888 5/5 6. Have you recently attended a YAC or other Dublin Commission or City Council meeting? If yes, what was the meeting date and what was the outcome of the item(s) you were interested in?* No (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 7. Provide at least one signed letter of recommendation from a non-family member (i.e. employer, counselor, teacher, coach, etc.). The letter of recommendation should be submitted with the application and must be received by the application deadline; otherwise, the application will be incomplete. 8. A formal interview process for selected applicants may take place. Upload Letter of Recommendation (required).* Letter of Rec-Aadi.pdf Upload 2nd Letter of Recommendation (optional) Aadya Letter.pdf Application materials must be submitted via this online application form. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2022. Applications or letters of recommendation will not be accepted after the deadline. 712 March 18th, 2022 Dear Selection Committee, I am pleased to recommend Aadya Penchala for admission to the Dublin Youth Advisory Council. I have the privilege of being Aadi’s French 3 teacher this year and her club’s supervisor at DHS. From day one, Aadya has put nothing but her best effort into everything she does in class. Although a bit quiet at first, she truly blossomed later on, participating often and doing her best to speak and write in French. Her efforts in learning the French language and culture, her curiosity, and consistency served her well in class projects where she shined as a confident and a creative young lady who’s always ready to collaborate with her classmates in an amicable and effective way. In addition to her academic performance and creativity, Aadya is a leader who started an Indian/Desi Art Club to educate her friends about the different aspects of art in that region. She meets with her team every other week in my classroom.She organizes the meetings and prepares professional presentations to help the club explore the different Indian architecture, dance and music. Aadya’s respect for other cultures, artistic talents, and leadership skills make her a great candidate for the Dublin Youth Advisory Council and assure that she can do an excellent job in planning events that benefit the diverse youth community of Dublin. Sincerely, Claude Isaac French teacher DHS 713 714 Some of Aadya’s exhibited work in recent TVSAT exhibit, with her Piece ‘Alterego’ winning 1st place+ judge’s favorite award at Alameda county fair art contest in 2020. 715 Attachment 2 716 3/30/22, 12:11 PM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4844 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4844 3/4 1. Why are you interested in serving on the Parks and Community Services Commission?* I moved to Dublin when I was in 4th grade, and I have been living here for nearly 6 years now. I’ve practically grown up in this city, and I’ve been lucky enough to see the city provide myself and other community members with wonderful facilities such as excellent schools, a multitude of sports and recreation programs, excellent schools, and of course, our very own water park. More than anything, I admire the unity and harmony which I see throughout the Dublin community everyday. I’m interested in serving on the commission because I feel it will give me the opportunity to give back to the community I cherish so much. I would be able to represent all of the youth of Dublin as a student representative, and I hope my inputs will help the city develop and progress in years to come for the development and progress of my City. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 2. What is the most important contribution you can make to the Commission?* Being a student representative, I’d like to be the voice of the youth of Dublin and provide more opportunities which will be beneficial for them. By providing more enrichment, fitness, meditation, yoga and dance classes we can keep the student community physically and mentally fit and active, even if they aren’t interested in joining a sport which requires more time commitment. I’ll also try to work for the addition of more diverse summer camps for different activities which can bring the Youth community of Dublin together, and provide them the opportunity to communicate, socialize, and build relationships with each other. Also, I’d like to focus on preserving our city’s parks by looking to keep them clean and free of debris. I will also try my best to encourage Dublin youth to participate more through volunteering in various city events. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What knowledge do you have of the parks and recreational facilities in Dublin?* Being in Dublin for the past 6 years, I’m very familiar with a plethora of the activities which the city has to offer. As soon as the Dublin Wave opened, I started enrolling in swimming lessons there, along with visiting the water park every weekend. The cricket nets at Emerald Glen have always been a key part of my cricketing journey throughLw the years, as I’ve practiced there twice every week with the Dublin Cricket League based there, and then played games every weekend at the Emerald Glen Cricket Pitch. I also live near Fallon Sports Park, so I tend to go there and really enjoy just jogging lightly around the field. My brother is also currently taking Tennis Lessons through the city at Fallon Sports Park as well. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What knowledge do you have of the programs offered through the Parks and Community Services Department? Have you ever participated in a program (such as J.A.W.S., Dublin L.E.A.D., J.L.P., Youth Advisory Committee - YAC) or class offered by the Parks and Community Services Department? * I’m currently a part of the Dublin Youth Advisory Committee, and I’m serving as a committee member for the current term. This year, I’ve gotten involved in the various programs conducted by the YAC, such as Dublin’s First Youth Mental Health Forum, as well as the opportunity to volunteer as a YAC member for various city sponsored programs such as Splatter, the Harvest Fair, the Annual Tree Lighting, and the Saint Patrick’s Day Festival. Currently, I’m also serving on the ad hoc committee for the Dublin Youth Benefit Concert, and the Dublin Youth Hack-a-Thon. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 717 718 March 3, 2022 To Whom It May Concern: It is with the sincerest pleasure that I am writing in recommendation of Advaith Anoop Krishna as a potential candidate for your Dublin Council Student Representative post for the 2022-2023 year. This school year, I have had the honor of being Advaith’s English teacher in our 10th grade English class (2021-2022), and I am pleased to inform you that the qualities he has shown in my class speak volumes about his well-rounded character. I am confident that Advaith will provide significant contributions to his future endeavors to your council, as well as to our society as a whole. With regards to my observations of Advaith in our class, he always arrives to class with a mature, prepared, and highly-engaged mentality. What makes Advaith stand out from other students is his unfailing positivity and frequent participation, as well as his thoughtfulness and his methodical approach to whatever is being asked of him. Additionally, each day, as we launch into the day’s activities, Advaith demonstrates his careful preparation through his thoughtful responses. A persistent strength which Advaith possesses is his ability to provide high-quality ideas in both formal and informal class discussions. During these discussions, most recently class debates, Advaith has shared insights which elevated the conversations and encouraged his peers to think more critically about the books we are reading. He is also a fantastic active listener and does a great job responding authentically to his peers. Thus, he helps elicit a greater variety of responses from our class. www.dublinusd.org/dhs 719 In addition to his impressive performance in our English class, Advaith possesses interpersonal skills which undoubtedly speak to his potential as a contributing member of the Dublin Council. With regards to collaborative work, Advaith has shown an openness and willingness to cooperate and communicate effectively with his classmates - pitching in his own ideas while also allowing others’ voices to shine in their work, as well. His classmates regard him with trust and respect, appreciate his sense of humor, and are reassured by his willingness to offer them support or further clarification with whatever task they are given. Even when faced with a daunting task such as getting started with an essay, Advaith approaches the work with a steadfastness and dedication which sets everyone around him at ease. Due to these qualities of his, other students enjoy working with him and often seemed pleased to be paired with him. With his strong academic and interpersonal skills, as well as his reliability as a trustworthy student, Advaith is an excellent candidate for your council. Overall, Advaith’s character, which embodies the qualities of patience, kindness, wisdom, and devotion to helping others, which he has demonstrated in our English class, undoubtedly demonstrates his potential as a positive contributing member to our community and beyond. Sincerely, Carmen Chan Dublin High School English Teacher www.dublinusd.org/dhs 720 721 722 3/30/22, 12:13 PM https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4883 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/4883 3/4 1. Why are you interested in serving on the Parks and Community Services Commission?* I am interested in the Parks and Community Services Commission as I want to give back to my community as much as possible as the positive Dublin community has shaped me into who I am today. I have seen, through my experiences as a member of the Youth Advisory Council, that the Commission partakes and hosts in multiple city-related activities and is a large, unrecognized part of Dublin residents’ lives. Having spent the latter part of my childhood in Dublin, I have been able to integrate myself more with my society by volunteering at events like the Harvest Fair and hanging out at the Farmer’s Market with my friend. As the Dublin community has given me multiple memorable experiences, I hope to be part of the commission to fulfill my civic duty to my community by giving back and making a positive and beneficial impact on the town as well as the people. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 2. What is the most important contribution you can make to the Commission?* The most important contribution I can make to the Commission would be bringing a student’s, a teenager’s view. By being the only student on the commission, I would represent my fellow peers as well as Dublin’s youth and give them a voice in our government. I hope that, by being part of the commission, I can educate my peers about our government, which I have seen is not very well known about by the youth of Dublin. By interacting with those on the commission as well as my peers, I would be able to help communicate the ideas between generations much more clearly, allowing the ideas produced by the commission to become more impactful and beneficial to all Dublin residents. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 3. What knowledge do you have of the parks and recreational facilities in Dublin?* From the five years, I have been a Dublin Resident, I have learned that the parks and recreational facilities are much more widespread than the common beliefs of maintaining the parks; such as managing programs at the Wave as well as planning the Farmer’s Market every year. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 4. What knowledge do you have of the programs offered through the Parks and Community Services Department? Have you ever participated in a program (such as J.A.W.S., Dublin L.E.A.D., J.L.P., Youth Advisory Committee - YAC) or class offered by the Parks and Community Services Department? * The majority of my knowledge of the programs offered through the Parks and Community Services department comes from my experience being a Youth Advisory Committee member for the 2021-2022 term. I know that the department hosts and volunteers at multiple events, some of which I have volunteered at like the Harvest Fair. I moved to Dublin when I was around 11 and I did not partake in any summer programs, but my brother has and from what I have seen, the department’s programs are executed very well. (This box can be expanded by expanding the lower right hand corner of this box. This option may not be available for the Internet Explorer browser.) 723 724 To whom it may concern, I am writing this letter to recommend Esha Shenoy for the Student Representative Position for the Dublin Parks and Recreation Department. Esha has been my student since August of 2020 in the Dublin High School Orchestra. Esha is a kind, positive student who can be counted on to come on time to each rehearsal. She is a good listener and receives information well. She is kind to those around her and easily makes friends. As a member of the Dublin High School Orchestra, Esha has seen the program and culture grow over her two years. As a member who has stayed committed to orchestra for two years, she has helped set a tone of commitment and an attitude that Orchestra is more than a class. This is an attitude that I’m sure she will bring elsewhere. In conclusion, Esha is a respectful student, and is dedicated to the Orchestra program. If Esha were to join your committee, I know she would bring the same level of dedication and citizenship to your organization. For these reasons, I suggest that you accept her. Sincerely, Elliot Polot Director of Orchestra Dublin High School www.dublinusd.org/dhs 725 March 16, 2022 To Whom It May Concern: It is my privilege to have Esha Shenoy in my Sophomore Advanced English class this year. As a tenth-grader, she demonstrates exceptional social and intellectual maturity. She also has the social skills and discipline necessary to work well with other students in collaborative groups. On many occasions I noticed that her help was welcomed by other less sure students in these settings. She works effectively in groups, taking leadership roles, always insisting on sharing and completing thoughtful work -- skills and abilities that will serve her well in future academic and workplace settings. Esha also has a kind heart and truly wants to help others. Just this week, a fellow classmate was having a difficult time and asked to go outside. Esha sprang into action and asked to go talk with the other student. She stayed with her friend even though it meant she would have to complete the in class assignment for homework. That is the type of person Esha is. She is willing to do more so that the people around her are taken care of. Sara C Hoison Sara C Hollison English Department Co-Lead Teacher Sophomore Advanced and Freshman English Teacher www.dublinusd.org/dhs Esha has many admirable goals, continuing her service as the Student Representative of the Parks and Recreations Committee among them. With her combination of intellectual skills, motivation and social maturity, she will flourish in committee such as yours. You will not be disappointed. I give Esha Shenoy my highest recommendation. 726