A Letter to New Delegates

By: Assistant Editor, Kayla Peters

Dear New Delegates,

Welcome to session! My name is Kayla, and I’m an Assistant Editor at The Capitol Chronicles. This is my second year in Youth and Government, and as such, I remember all too well what it feels like on the first day of your very first Youth Legislative session. Believe me, the rush of stepping off the bus and hitting the ground running is still fresh in my mind. Unfortunately, I also remember feeling like I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. I know this may sound corny, but trust me, everyone feels like that. This is a letter to all of you, the new delegates, to let you know that you are not alone in this vast session buzzing all around you. Hopefully, this letter will make you feel a little more at ease in all the noise, and more confident in your abilities to persevere throughout these next couple of days. 

Youth and Government is littered with a paradox of emotions. Where the intense passion for a bill exists, so does anxiety around whether or not the Youth Governor will sign it. Where there is the desire to lead others as a Major Officer, there is also a fear of public speaking and putting yourself out there for all to see. Where the rush of kinship with other like-minded individuals lives, also lives the anger that may flare when met with opposing values or beliefs. However, there also lives the understanding that comes when you realize that we’re all just people, raising our voices in a world that seems to undervalue youth voices despite our determinations to speak until listened to. 

My point is this: everything that you are feeling right now—the anxiety, the excitement, the frustration, and the passion—all of that is normal. It’s not just normal; it’s good. Remember these feelings. Remembering what I felt like last year as a first-year delegate has informed me about what I want to do with the rest of my time here in Youth and Government, and maybe even beyond that, as I consider my life after graduation. Remember what you feel right now, because when you step off the bus next year as a certified YAG veteran, you’ll look back on these moments with nostalgia and pride, knowing that you made it through the whirlwind and came back for more.  

Have a wonderful rest of session!