By Rachel Dinh

What does it mean to be involved in the community? For some, it may be volunteering at hospitals, animal shelters, or charities. For Emma Moriarty and Clara Moffitt, it means something different: using their voices to bring positive change to the community.

Emma and Clara are both in MYAC, which stands for the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission. MYAC was founded in order to combat issues that teens face, and at the same time give teens the opportunity to voice their concerns and come up with solutions. For example, one of the recent topics of discussion was school shootings and gun laws.

The positions in MYAC include Treasurer, Chair, and more, and all of the spots are filled by middle school and high school students. Emma is the Vice-Chair and Clara is Youth Town Hall Chair.

Youth Town Hall is MYAC’s biggest annual event. This is where the youth of Tempe gather together with elected officials and business leaders, people who are responsible for decisions that impact the community. Both sides discuss problems facing the youth and how to solve them.

This much-planned event has picked up steam over the years and led to a variety of changes in the community. Have you heard of free bus passes? Seen the teen section of the library? These are just a few of the initiatives that MYAC started. The other big project MYAC plans is an annual service project, which changes every year. Some examples of projects are Be Fit Don’t Sit, and this year’s recycling initiative.

Being the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission, the members have much contact with the mayor of Tempe, Mark Mitchell. Clara gives insight into what it’s like to work with him: “The mayor is very passionate about the city and really values the youth of Tempe, which is really important, as we are extremely vital to the city both now and in the future.”

A typical meeting goes like this: The president calls the meeting to order, announcements are made, and public guests are introduced. Clara adds, “Since we are an official commission we are required to follow open meeting laws which means we must strictly follow what we put on our agenda for the meeting.” With meetings that last hours and involve lots of discussion, it is no wonder that Emma and Clara have grown from their involvement.

Emma says, “I’ve learned a lot about working as a group. I learned what it means to truly work together to form a cohesive product.” Clara shares what she has learned: “I have learned about running events and coordinating with people. I also learned more about local politics, which is super underrated so I have found it extremely valuable to participate in not just MYAC, but Tempe’s political side. I have learned so much about Tempe by attending events or listening to speakers and it has really inspired me to inspire local change.”