Get to Know the Candidates
Nov. 19 by Olivia Otto
During this 2020 Kentucky Youth Assembly, leadership is more important than ever with our current situation. The youth of Kentucky must step up and take on the challenge of preparing for our future. With our eight Commonwealth and two Bluegrass candidates, the future is looking brighter than ever. I got the wonderful opportunity to sit down with some of them and ask them more about their candidacy.
Ana Hernandez is the first Commonwealth candidate I had the pleasure to learn about. She is a student at Hopkinsville High School and shows her passion through each of her policies.
Q: Could you go into more detail about your platforms? What specifically would you like to be done to account for your policies?
A: Being from a military family I see and understand the struggles that the military goes through when trying to get a job. Many of their education credits and training do not cross over to the civilian workforce requiring them to go back to school in order to get the requirements. This can lead many veterans into debt. I want to change this and allow these vets credits from the military to cross over into the civilian work force allowing them to go immediately into the civilian workforce!
Q: How has KYA impacted your life?
A: KYA has benefited my life in so many ways! It has allowed me to share my thoughts and opinions about things that are very near and dear to my heart. KYA has helped me to be confident in my speaking ability.
Q: What has been the most fun part about your campaign? What has been the hardest?
A: The best part of my campaign was collecting items to donate to my local sanctuary house; this place has a special place in my heart because it helps these women escape abusive situations and create a better life for themselves!
The hardest part about my campaign was coming up with ideas to reach out and meet every delegate.
Q: Are any of your platforms personal to you? If so, could you explain how?
A: I am most passionate about my veterans platform because I come from a rich military background and I see the sacrifices that they make for us. When my mom got out of the military she couldn’t get her experience to transfer over and she had to get a degree for something she already knew how to do. I don’t want to see any other vets go through this which is why this platform is so important to me!
Next I got to sit down with another Commonwealth Candidate, Eli Hill. Eli has been doing KYA since his 8th grade year and is ready to make a change.
Q: Could you go into more detail about your platforms? What specifically would you like to be done to account for your policies?
A: The general approach I took was finding a way to help other people. In my first platform, Social Justice, I focused on some of the more uncomfortable issues in our state. Kentucky is home to 15 active hate groups, and we’re in a three-way tie for the most active chapters of the Klu Klux Klan. These groups can’t continue to be allowed to survive. For my second platform, the environment, there are two big issues I wanted to address; first is that pipelines don’t need to be built through our State’s parks. These spills have cost us over $82 million dollars which our state can’t afford. Another big issue is clean water. The Ohio River is severely polluted, and there are still counties in our state that can’t afford/operate infrastructure to give their citizens clean/affordable water. My last platform is healthcare; some big issues we face right now are students’ mental health and the wellbeing of our LGTBQ students. Additionally, issues like paid maternity leave and lowered life-saving prescription drug costs have failed to be addressed by our state. When making my policies, I worked to make sure each and every one of them was realistic, but most importantly, I worked to make sure that they could all be implemented using already existing statutes in KRS.
Q: How has KYA impacted your life?
A: My interest in government was definitely cultivated here, and it made me a news and law advocate. I’m also looking to serve people in my future as a lawmaker. I’m much more comfortable with sharing my voice and writing arguments for legislation now than I was at my first KYA; it’s thrown me out of my shell and forced me to do new things/meet new people and I’ve absolutely loved it. If I had to sum it up, its effect was nothing but positive on me.
Q: What has been the most fun part about your campaign? What has been the hardest?
A: Definitely the people! I’ve spent the past two weeks already talking to other candidates/reaching out to delegates and it’s something I’ve loved doing. Being able to meet all these people my age who love student government, writing, and debating bills as much as I do has been amazing. The hardest part was the posts. Making my platforms was nothing compared to creating posts for them. I spent hours typing, fitting designs, and even just choosing the colors. It was exhausting and I wasted so much time designing things; I would be worn out come the end of the day. It was hard but I’m happy with the way they look and turned out.
Q: Are any of your platforms personal to you? If so, could you explain how?
A: My second and third platforms are most personal to me. I created my second platform (environment) after I saw how pipelines affect people. Bernheim Forest is really close to me, and I love to run there, but they’ve had to fight LG&E for the past 2 years; it’s a beautiful park, and it definitely made me become involved with climate activism. My last platform is personal to me because of its first two points. I’ve dealt with issues like depression in school and anxiety in athletics, and I know that the workload and expectations on students can be grueling, I also have family members/friends that are members of the LGTBQ community; I’ve witnessed firsthand the mistreatment they encounter all the time, and it’s heartbreaking. I’m deeply concerned with the wellbeing of others, and I’ve formed a very emotional view of this platform.
Commonwealth Candidate Madison Adams and I were able to chat next. Madison is a junior at Barren County High School who is ready to stand together and make a difference.
Q: Could you go into more detail about your platforms? What specifically would you like to be done to account for your policies?
A: My first platform is mental health awareness. I think it is such an important issue as there are not enough counselors in schools to help the kids who are struggling with mental illness. My second platform is vocational learning opportunities. Only 22% of public high schools in Kentucky have these programs, and these programs really help students who want to take a different path besides college. My last platform is appreciating diversity. It is so important to encourage people to embrace diversity and it is important to raise awareness for it.
Q: How has KYA impacted your life?
A: KYA has changed my life because I know what I want to do for the rest of my life. I have fallen in love with politics and government, and I know it is what I want to do for the rest of my life!
Q: What has been the most fun part about your campaign? What has been the hardest?
A: The hardest part is probably campaigning on social media because my delegation is super small and it worries me that I won’t have a chance to become a P.O.
Q: Are any of your platforms personal to you? If so, could you explain how?
A: One of the platforms that influences me the most is mental health awareness because I have very hard classes, and I am involved in a lot outside of school. I find myself becoming stressed and anxious a lot, and I just wanted to raise awareness for it! For a brighter tomorrow vote Madison Adams today!
Myka Smith-Jackson was the next Commonwealth candidate I got to talk to. Myka is a student at STEAM Academy in Lexington KY, and the Y-Club has given her a safe space to discuss issues important to her.
Q: Could you go into more detail about your platforms? What specifically would you like to be done to account for your policies?
A: All three of my platforms have become very prominent in Kentucky and action has not been taken to bring more awareness to these issues. Drug overdose has affected 230 deaths between the ages of 15–24; these numbers are too high. I would like to have a state-wide outreach to educate citizens about drug overdose and how dangerous they can be. Mental Health has been affecting so many citizens across Kentucky and the United States; no one should have to walk alone when they are dealing with this. Studies by the CDC have shown that 1 in 5 children have a mental health illness. I would like to eliminate the mental health stigma by educating people and enforcing KRS 156.095, chapter 158 to provide social workers within all school districts. Domestic Violence has also become an issue that has been swept under the rug not just in Kentucky. There have been at least 5 million acts of domestic violence annually to women and over 3 million involving men. I knew that I had to pick domestic violence as one of my platforms because love should not hurt. My plan is to educate citizens about the different forms of domestic violence and ways to identify it and to provide funding to domestic violence help relief programs here in Kentucky.
Q: How has KYA impacted your life?
A: KYA has had a huge impact on me since 7th grade, from when I first raised my placard to running for Presiding Officer. KYA has given me a voice that I didn’t know I had before. It has allowed me to have a safe place where I can talk about issues, given me the opportunity to grow more confident in myself when speaking, and put myself out there to meet new people.
Q: What has been the most fun part about your campaign? What has been the hardest?
A: The most fun part about my campaign is that I have been able to create a website and Instagram page where I can share my ideas and plans of how to improve Kentucky and being able to meet other amazing candidates from all KYA conferences. The hardest part of my campaign would be trying to get people to see all of the content that I have posted on Instagram and trying to reach as many people as possible.
Q: Are any of your platforms personal to you? If so, could you explain how?
A: All of my platforms are personal to me because I have sadly lost family members due to drugs, and I don’t want anyone’s families to have to experience that. Domestic Violence is also something that people very close to me have had to experience. I wanted to be able to speak on their behalf to bring awareness to domestic violence and teach citizens about it. Mental Health is something that is extremely close to me because I have anxiety, and I know how hard it can be to live life with it because sometimes it feels like a weight that you constantly carry. I wanted more help put in schools for students because some families either don’t know what mental health is, have disbelief in mental illness, or simply do not have enough money to afford professional help.
The one Bluegrass Candidate I spoke with was Amy Roblero. Amy is a student at Bardstown High School who enjoys the atmosphere of KYA in every aspect.
Q: Could you go into more detail about your platforms? What specifically would you like to be done to account for your policies?
A: My first platform deals with the environment; my goal is to create clean energy jobs that are easily learned and trained for the coal miners who have lost their jobs due to the struggling coal industry in Kentucky. These jobs will be much safer and have fewer health risks compared to coal mining all while helping the environment heal.Through my second platform dealing with mental health, we will require schools to educate students on a variety of disorders, mental illnesses, and coping skills in order to lessen the number of adolescents that go undiagnosed in the state of Kentucky. This could either be accomplished by implementing a yearly program or enforcing health classes to discuss a variety of mental illnesses more in depth. Through my final platform dealing with social justice, my goal will be to create a citizen review board in every police department that is charged with the duty of reviewing complaints and making recommendations as to disciplinary action to ensure that everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation receives justice. When it comes to the police system, the people’s voice becomes weak and in the present day this has become clearer than ever. My hopes are that citizens will balance out the power dynamic between the people and authorities.
Q: How has KYA impacted your life?
A: KYA has increased my knowledge on the making of laws and how even the tiniest change can affect thousands of people positively or negatively. It’s made me a more considerate person, teaching me to look at both sides of the argument, but most importantly it’s helped me acknowledge the importance of my own voice and how it can be used for those who don’t have one.
Q: What has been the most fun part about your campaign? What has been the hardest?
A: The most fun part of my campaign definitely had to be choosing my platforms. I finally had the opportunity to represent the issues most important to me and was able to discuss them with others. However, this definitely also had to be the most difficult part of my campaign. Actually choosing which platforms I wanted to represent and speak on was a hard choice, and I truly had to ask myself what changes I believe desperately need to be made, and narrowing them down to three was a huge challenge.
Q: Are any of your platforms personal to you? If so, could you explain how?
A: My two platforms dealing with mental health and social justice are both topics that are near and dear to my heart. My parents are both immigrants, both undocumented, and around two years ago my father was unfortunately deported back to his home country, Mexico. My mental health reached an all time low at this time, and I was diagnosed with both anxiety and depression. To this day, I still struggle with both, but being on medication and receiving help has definitely made it easier, which is why I so desperately wish mental health was more talked about, especially in schools so that others will have the opportunity to receive the help they need. Being a minority living in the United States and the product of an American dream, I have received backlash for speaking to my mother in Spanish in public, I have had racist comments directed at me, and I’m more than aware of the injustices others go through. These issues are beyond important to me because I am not the only one, but among thousands of people. I am among thousands of voices, and I’m determined to be heard.
The next Commonwealth Candidate I was able to learn about is Claire Moore. Claire is a junior at Frankfort High School who has enjoyed 13 Y Conferences, but KYA is her favorite.
Q: Could you go into more detail about your platforms? What specifically would you like to be done to account for your policies?
A: My first platform is mental health awareness; this is my service platform, for I strive to be someone in my school and community who anyone can reach out to. I think that mental health struggles aren’t something that will just disappear with a simple solution, but it is important to address other factors such as social disadvantages and addiction. School psychologists are a must, as guidance counselors are more there for academic purposes. Ensuring that teachers have more training in how to handle mental health struggles in students will also make a big impact on the mental health of children and teens. My second platform is economic development and infrastructure. Kentucky has so much potential; I think we need to go about investing in quality infrastructure in Kentucky, so new industries can locate in all regions, earning more revenue from more tourism marketing, and increasing small business support. All of these things will increase unemployment, and boost the economy. My final platform is voter turnout and education. The turnout rates in 2020 were some of the highest we have seen, proving the effectiveness of the voting options provided this past election. I recognize the effects that social media and news can have on voters, and I think it is important to promote educating yourself prior to election day. Some of the ways we could go about this include candidate biographies at polling places, or the promotion of the importance of voting at public high schools and colleges.
Q: How has KYA impacted your life?
A: KYA has given me an idea of what I want to do with my life. I have found so much joy through participating in KYA, because I have discovered my passion of making a change in the lives of individuals and the lives of communities. KYA is a way for me to get a headstart on pursuing this passion. KYA has brought me to meet some of my best friends, and has opened my eyes to the potential that Generation Z has in changing the future.
Q: What has been the most fun part about your campaign? What has been the hardest?
A: The most fun part about my campaign has definitely been writing speeches on Commonwealth bills and speaking on them during committees. I absolutely love public speaking, especially when it deals with ways to better our commonwealth. I also really enjoyed filming the “KYA Candidate Competition” with my fellow candidate Alex Young. You can check it out on Instagram @claire4po. The hardest part of my campaign has definitely been getting my name out in a virtual setting. I love having face to face conversations with as many Y-kids as possible. Obviously, the pandemic has been quite an obstacle, but I urge anyone who has questions for me to reach out. I am always up for having a conversation about your legislation!
Q: Are any of your platforms personal to you? If so, could you explain how?
A: My first platform, mental health awareness, is extremely personal to me. As an involved high school student, I deal with a lot of stress and anxiety. I am a huge advocate for providing more mental health services in schools, as I myself would benefit from these services. Further, I dealt with bad OCD as a young child. While I have been hesitant to talk about it in the past, I want to bring light to the issue. If we get rid of the stigma surrounding mental health, we are much more likely to solve this problem. My second platform is personal to my family. My mom is from Eastern Kentucky, and as she has grown up and started a life in Frankfort, she has watched her hometown change for the worse before her eyes. Reversing the economic decline in her hometown is something I would see my whole family benefit from.
Sophia Koppensteiner, another Commonwealth candidate, and I were able to chat next. Sophia is a junior at Greenwood High School who loves the Y-Club and connecting with other people.
Q: Could you go into more detail about your platforms? What specifically would you like to be done to account for your policies?
A: Kentucky’s Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) sets out the legal duties of landlords and tenants that enter into residential lease agreements. Over 100 counties in KY have not adopted this optional act. Too many of our citizens are experiencing such things as unsafe and unsanitary living conditions, sudden increased rent, landlords entering their property without notice, as well as retaliatory evictions. I believe that URLTA should be adopted statewide. Moving to my second platform, opioids have infiltrated Kentucky. According to the NIH’s National Institutes of Drug Abuse, “In Kentucky, there were 989 (a rate of 23.4) drug overdose deaths involving opioids in 2018.”I believe that this crisis needs to be addressed on many levels. Kentucky must continue working towards solving this issue until it is no longer a major crisis. For this reason, I believe that I could be one more person to work on combating our Opioid Crisis. I will help create more medical detox centers, rehab facilities, and more awareness programs. I will also hold pharmaceutical companies and doctors accountable for their contribution to this epidemic. Mental health and illness have always been subjects that are difficult to discuss. During COVID-19, student isolation has played a large role in the increase of mental health struggles. It is imperative that every school in Kentucky has at least one mental health counselor. One section of Senate Bill 1 states, “Require by July 1, 2021, as funds become available, each school district to provide a mental health professional for each one thousand five hundred students.” Considering how many teen Kentuckians struggle with mental health, I find this platform to be of utmost importance.
Q: How has KYA impacted your life?
A: KYA has impacted my life by allowing me to step out of my comfort zone! I have been able to meet lifelong Y friends and could not ask for a better family!
Q: What has been the most fun part about your campaign? What has been the hardest?
A: The meet and greet and Commonwealth Chambers have definitely been the most fun. I loved being able to answer goofy questions and get to see the other candidates’ personalities. The hardest part has been truly getting to know people over social media and zoom.
Q: Are any of your platforms personal to you? If so, could you explain how?
A: I have volunteered with a lot of political campaigns of people that support ULTRA, which is a part of my “Equal Housing Rights” platform. In addition, I have volunteered with vulnerable populations that have been affected with this.
Finally, I was able to talk with Commonwealth candidate Alex Young. Alex is a student at Saint Xavier who advocates for legislation with the Kentucky General Assembly.
Q: Could you go into more detail about your platforms? What specifically would you like to be done to account for your policies?
A: I want to take comprehensive action on all fronts of my platforms. On diabetes, I want to continue state funding for the Barnstable Research facility at U of K, which is developing groundbreaking research on Diabetes treatments. On student voice, I am currently working with The Prichard Student Voice Team on interviewing students to find their concerns and needs during the pandemic. I know just how hard it is for students especially when they can’t effectively communicate with their teachers. Finally on child abuse, I am working with state legislators on actual legislation to end the use of corporal punishment in Kentucky schools. I want to support policies that will stop our Commonwealth from ranking as the highest child abuse rate.
Q: How has KYA impacted your life?
A: KYA had completely changed my life. The conference has given me a platform to take leadership roles and helped me develop my interest in policy and law. KYA has shaped what I love to do and what I hope to do in the future. The most fun part of the campaign has been getting to know other delegates and hearing their passions. Also, bonding with the other candidates has been so much fun, including in activities like an Among Us game.
Getting to know these candidates has been one of the highlights of KYA for me and I am so glad I am able to share their stories. Every single one of them are role models and deserve to be Presiding Officers. Please make sure to vote; remember three people for Commonwealth and one for Bluegrass!
