News

South Ender Chair in Youth in Government

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Thursday Mar 23, 2017

Ryan Ridolfo of the South End, a sophomore at Boston College High School, was one of the twenty-one BC High students who participated at the annual YMCA Youth in Government Conference from March 3 to 5 at the Massachusetts State House on Beacon Hill. Ridolfo was a Committee Chairman. The young men were delighted that Governor Baker was the keynote speaker and that many state Representatives and Senators joined them at the opening ceremonies.

The BC High team had a most successful year: Stephen DeMatteo 2018 of Scituate, Dan Gordon 2018 of Natick and Matt Brandi 2019 of Quincy all had their bills passed and signed into law.

Nine BC High students were singled out for honors among the many participants: Delano Franklin 2017 of Chelsea served as this year's Youth Governor, Deen Haleem 2017 of Milton served as the Youth Lt. Governor, Carlos Tamayo 2017 of Brookline as Senate President.

DeMatteo and Dan Gordon 2018 of Natick served in the Governor's Cabinet.
Tim Lynch 2018 of South Boston and Ridolfo were committee chairs. Jack Michalski 2017 of Milton served as a justice and won the Outstanding Justice award. Ryan Golemme 2019 of Norwell received the Outstanding Senator award.

Bill Donoso 2019 of Weymouth was selected to represent Massachusetts at the National Judicial Conference in Chicago on August 1 to 4th. Tim Smyth 2018 of South Boston, Ryan Golemme, Deen Haleem, and Carlos Tamayo were selected to represent Massachusetts at the Conference on National Affairs at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, North Carolina at the beginning of July 2017.Th

The Youth in Government Club, moderated by faculty members Elise Wilson and Michael Chapman, both of Braintree, is part of a Greater Boston YMCA program which allows high school students to learn about state government and participate in the process of the State House with other students from throughout Massachusetts. Students take on various roles in the state government including the legislative, executive, and judicial branches as well as lobbyists and the press corps.

Youth & Government is one of the YMCA's oldest programs established in 1936. The program teaches young people about state government, while at the same time helps them to develop their own character through learning values stressed by the YMCA - caring, respect, honesty, and responsibility.