SF City Supervisor Katy Tang on her Youth Council

SF City Supervisor Katy Tang

San Francisco City Supervisor Katy Tang recently invited me to be a part of her Youth Council, so I asked if I might interview her for my blog. Ms. Tang represents District 4 and was gracious to answer my questions.

What inspired you to create the Youth Council? What do you hope it will achieve?

I was inspired to create the Youth Council because I met so many students who wanted to get involved in our community. Through participation on the Youth Council, I hope that students will learn more about how the city operates and how city government works to address issues, such as housing, homelessness, public safety, and beyond. I hope that each participant will make new friends, continue to serve as a leader in our community, and inspire others to become active and engaged residents.

What kinds of projects or policies have SF youth spearheaded in the past?

Youth in San Francisco have worked on amazing initiatives in the past. Whether I have agreed with the policies or not, I have loved seeing the sophisticated policy work and dialogue that have been spearheaded by youth. These initiatives include successfully advocating for free Muni service for youth, putting forth a ballot campaign to allow youth to vote starting at age 16, and ensuring that we have a robust dialogue around immigration policies that impact youth.

What were you like as a San Francisco middle schooler when you attended Hoover (which I attend now!)? Did you already have an interest in government? What did you think you wanted to be when you grew up?

When I was in middle school, I was still quite shy and did not like speaking up in class or sharing my opinion about anything. However, I did participate in student government all three years while I was at Hoover, and I loved being able to contribute to our school community in that way. However, I never anticipated working in government. It was while at middle school that I had a strong interest in Science classes. I even participated in Science contests! I thought I was going to be working in a hospital or laboratory setting. But life takes you in many different directions, and so here I am, now working in local government!

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