Youth Commissioner; 2021 - Present Marin County Youth Commission; San Rafael, CA 94901
Contact: Samantha Ramirez; Coordinator; 628-236-6589; sramirez@yli.org
In August 2021, I was sworn-in as a Commissioner on the Marin County Youth Commission (MCYC) which is one of the oldest youth commissions in the nation. The Commission acts as a political voice advising the County’s Board of Supervisors on issues impacting young people, particularly those in underserved populations, including youth of color, youth with disabilities, homeless youth, rural youth, and LGBTQ youth. You can follow my twitter account.
During my time on the Commission, I individually met with leaders in both local government and Non-profits to better understand their role in my community. These included our State Senator; State Assembly Member; County Supervisors; County Sheriff; County Fire Chief; City Mayors; City Police Chiefs; and Non-profit Executive Directors. From these meetings, I learned the specifics of how local government provides services to citizens, as well as how Non-profits supplement those services.
In addition, I serve on the MCYC’s Mental Health Subcommittee, which is responsible for hosting an annual Youth Mental Health Summit. My focus is on issues related to teen anxiety, depression, and suicide, including their causes: physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, as well as drug and alcohol abuse. We are currently planning our Summit for Spring 2022.
In May 2022, I participated in the planning, writing, and advocacy of a resolution before the Marin County Board of Supervisors proclaiming May 2022 as Foster Care Awareness Month. You can watch me speak before the Board of Supervisors on May 10, 2022.
Student Elections Ambassador; 2021 - Present Marin County Elections Department; San Rafael, CA 94901
Contact: Megan Stone; Coordinator; 415-473-6444; mstone@marincounty.org
In September 2021, I became a Student Elections Ambassador for Marin County, with the goal of pre-registering and registering Marin County students to vote. I joined the program to help highlight the importance of youth engagement and participation in local, state, and federal elections. As part of the program, I have spoken at Marin Academy assemblies to inform eligible students how to register to vote, as well as, to inform 16 and 17-year-old students how to preregister to vote. I also registered young people to vote at the 2022 Marin City MLK / Black History Event.
Youth Ambassador; 2020 – present The Tyler Clementi Foundation; New York, NY 10001
Contact: Jane Clementi, Founder & CEO; 646-598-8204; jane@tylerclementi.org
In September 2020, I became a Youth Ambassador for the Tyler Clementi Foundation, a national non-profit organization committed to ending physical and cyber bullying at school, work places, and in communities of faith. The Foundation was started by Jane Clementi following the tragic death of her son Tyler; who at the young age of 18, took his own life because of cyber-bullying and harassment. The Youth Ambassador Program allows high school students, from across the country, to routinely meet and learn how to prevent and interrupt bullying in their local community.
During my sophomore year of high school, I undertook an outreach campaign focused on students and faculty at Marin Academy, educating them on the Foundation and the issue of bullying. I also participated in an anti-bullying webinar hosted by the Marin Academy Parent Education Committee, during which I interviewed Jane Clementi about how parents can stop physical and on-line bullying. The webinar was widely viewed by families, including those at our neighboring Branson High School. You can view the webinar on my Projects Page.
In between my sophomore and junior years, I published an editorial in my local newspaper, discussing both bullying and the consequences of it. You can view the editorial at: Bizzell, Jake. "Marin Voice: Shocking increase in suicide rates of gay youth deserves our attention." Marin Independent Journal, 10 June 2021.
In October 2021, I participated in the planning, writing, and advocacy of a resolution before the Marin County Board of Supervisors proclaiming October 2021 as Bullying Prevention and Awareness Month. You can watch me speak before the Board of Supervisors on October 19, 2021. I also discussed the resolution in a published letter to the editor. You can view it at: Bizzell, Jake. “Link between social media bullying, teen suicide real.” Marin Independent Journal, 10 June 2021.
During my junior year of high school, I was honored by my hometown newspaper, The Ark, which recognized me for its “Spirit of Generosity, 2021” series. The Ark profiled local residents “who give back to causes that help improve the lives of others and their communities.” The article was entitled: “Teen shines a spotlight on youth mental health,” and discussed my work as a Youth Ambassador for the Tyler Clementi Foundation and a Youth Commissioner for Marin County. You can visit the article. This recognition is important to me because it highlights my work helping queer youth who are bullied in school or their local communities, as well as, my work helping students, like me, who struggle with learning disabilities and other mental health issues. I hope that it inspires other young people to become activists on issues that they are passionate about and are impacting their local community.
I was also the Team Leader for the Tyler Clementi Foundation’s Kindness Campaign, a digital peer to peer fundraiser to raise awareness about bullying prevention. I exceeded my goal of raising $3,000 for the campaign. You can visit my page and learn more about the campaign.
Heart Gallery Youth Ambassador; 2015 – 2019 Adoptions Together; Calverton, MD 20705
Contact: Janice Goldwater, Executive Director; 301-439-2900; jgoldwater@adoptionstogether.org
Beginning when I was ten years old, I started helping Adoptions Together raise awareness of the hardships facing foster care children in Baltimore City and the District of Columbia. I served as the Youth Ambassador for the Heart Gallery -- a traveling portrait exhibit of local children in foster care. I worked with many local social workers to find ways to get the Gallery more exposure to help the children find their forever homes. Each year I met with officials from the Maryland Department of Human Services; US Congress Members for DC and Maryland; and local community celebrities, educating them about foster care issues.
