Joseph Cubow
Joseph grew up at the Y, first attending our Teddy Bear Academy while his mother worked at the YMCA as an Afterschool Counselor. Then he went on to attend our Summer Camp and Afterschool Programs and later participated in our Youth In Government (YIG) program in high school where he was in the International Baccalaureate program.
Youth in Government (YIG) was Joseph’s formal introduction to how one person could make a widespread impact through legislative and judicial processes. He gained more than just knowledge about decorum and court proceedings from his time in YIG; it gave him a set of tools and perspectives that set the rest of his life in motion. With a foundation in networking, reading through legal documentation, and developing thoughtful interpretations of actual written law, he took the next steps out of high school and into college ready to make a difference. Immediately, he found himself being elected to a position in the Student Government at the University of Central Florida as a member of the Student Body Senate, where he would serve the College of Engineering as a senator and chair for different fiscal and legislative committees, eventually being nominated to represent the entire Student Body at UCF as the Director of Communications while obtaining his B.S in Aerospace Engineering. Now, Joseph is working as a Liaison Engineer for the Boeing Company, applying the same skills in coordination and legal review to support production of aircraft serving millions of people throughout the world.
Gabriella Beer
“Stepping into high school I was looking for a club that was not only fun but also gain connections to people that I could learn a lot from. That is when I found Youth In Government. Going to my first ever YIG meeting online due to COVID was at first intimidating but also exciting. Just like all aspects of the y, I was immediately welcomed with embrasive arms. I knew this is where I belonged. Experiencing my first ever state assembly was different then others since it was online and not in Tallahassee like normally. However I still had a blast. Fast forwarding into Sophomore and Junior year, I was immersed into the different programs that youth and government as well as the Y offers. I had the opportunity to serve as an Associate Justice my sophomore and junior year as well as serve as delegation vice president my junior year. Stepping into my junior year state assembly I was very excited to see all my YIG friends from across the state and meet new ones! At the end of junior year state assembly I was appointed as Chief Justice which now has allowed me to be even more knowledgeable in the judicial system then ever before.”
Poetry Baker
Poetry Baker first joined our YIG program in middle school after her civics teacher, who was the Program Director at the time, told her about how she would be able to work on court cases and even go to Tallahassee to the Supreme Court and the State Capital to argue these cases.
YIG has introduced Poetry to a lot of her now long time friends and has given her the opportunity to travel all over the state of Florida and tour the state capital on two different occasions as well as the Supreme Court. Our YIG program has helped boost her confidence and taught her a lot about how our court system and government makes decisions and how it is supposed to be run since YIG is a model government and not based on how our real government is managed. Poetry is looking forward to all that our YIG program has to offer again this year!
Tessa
When Tessa started high school, she was too shy to speak in public. By the time she graduated, she was an accomplished debater, high academic achiever, and more than prepared to tackle political science as her major at Florida State University. Tessa’s parents were amazed by her transformation while participating in the Y’s Youth in government program. YIG prepares students to become engaged in civic life. Students learn that to lead, they must first learn to serve. With YIG, one awkward young teen became a confident young woman, determined to make a difference!