Minnesota Youth Council Representatives testified at the first House Education Finance Committee meeting of the 2021 legislative session. "We chose to start this biennium’s hearings [listening to] youth voices. This is very similar to what we did the previous biennium as well, because we believe it’s important that we listen to these voices and that we hear from students directly on what their experience of education in Minnesota is,” said Rep. Jim Davnie (DFL-Mpls), the committee's chair. Minnesota Youth Council members Kaycie Brookens, Salma Abdi, Katelyn Dorry, Karen Guise, and Jaden Henderson shared their insight and experiences with school during COVID-19.
“I’m a social being that learns in a structured environment with back-and-forth interaction with my teachers and peers,” said Katelyn Dorry. “This year, the isolation on top of everything has been crushing.
“This pandemic brought me to my knees. I went from feeling invincible to just feeling small. Unable to keep up with my own expectations of myself, with the extracurriculars I need to participate in, with my duties as a Minnesota Youth Council rep. Honestly, my anxiety is the only thing keeping my grades up.”
Read more on the House Session Daily's post about the Committee Hearing, and watch all of the MYC testimonies on our Youtube Channel.
