Kevin Small Jr. sees the political arena as the ideal place to serve his peers, and the Suffolk University management major has seized upon an opportunity to do just that, as a member of the Governor’s Statewide Youth Council.
Small, a Dorchester native, was one of 28 young leaders recently sworn in for two-year terms in the council.
A 2008 graduate of Excel Academy Charter School in East Boston, Small strongly believes in charter school education and expansion.
“I’m hoping that education is a key initiative during my time on the council,” he says.
Gov. Deval Patrick created the Governor’s Statewide Youth Council in 2008 following an outbreak of youth-related violence in the Greater Boston area. Its mission is to advise the governor on policies that improve the lives of young people statewide.
Small said that he experienced a “life-changing” moment while listening to a speech about education in the fall of 2013.
“Right then, I thought about becoming a pioneer for education,” he says. “I saw myself delivering that same information about education to people for the rest of my life.”
The council includes two representatives from each of Massachusetts’ 14 counties.
Small and the other counselors have been given a significant voice in the decision-making process and are expected to discuss issues important to youth in their communities.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know and developing long-lasting relationships with people my own age who are just as passionate when it comes to connecting youth to the resources they need to be successful,” Small says.
