Wyman’s Youth Leadership Council (YLC) is a partnership between youth leaders and Wyman staff, executives, and Board of Trustees. It is a collective of young people from Wyman’s programs primarily focused on sharing ideas, building skills, creating solutions, and putting those solutions into action supported by Wyman staff and board, their peers, and community stakeholders. Youth participating in the Council will:
- Engage to build, develop, and pilot a Youth Leadership Council structure
- Inform and refine the how of Wyman’s Advocacy Framework
- Create the structure to implement, evaluate, and sustain the Youth Leadership Council and advocacy priorities
- Become adept in both self and individual advocacy
Youth Leadership Council Framework
Mission
Wyman’s Youth Leadership Council will create sustainable youth-adult partnerships that provide channels where young people’s voices are amplified to remove barriers, promote success and overall wellness, address inequities, and make positive change in their communities and across the world.
Vision
Wyman’s Youth Leadership Council envisions a day where tomorrow’s leaders are prepared for great success, where equity and justice are the new normal, where youth can use their voices to change the world, where young people everywhere are respected by adults and are finally involved in conversations and decisions that impact their well-being.
Value Statement
- Wyman’s Youth Leadership Council believes:
- All young people deserve respect.
- Adults should be open to learning and receiving critical feedback.
- Youth are best suited to advocate for themselves.
- We have a moral obligation to be the voice of the voiceless and partner with others to unlock the full potential that youth bring to this work.
- We must learn from failure.
- We must be true to ourselves.
- We must always keep it real.
Meet the YLC Members!
Jason Brown, Jr.
He/Him
Junior, McKinley Classical Leadership Academy
Jason is in Wyman Leaders and will graduate from high school in 2024. He is a student athlete and wants to be an architect. Jason loves to cook and write and considers himself a people person. One word Jason uses to describe himself: Free
Leila Brown
They/She/He
Junior, MOCAP
Leila is in Wyman Leaders and will be graduating from high school in 2024 and wants to pursue a career in psychology or environmental studies. They have a lot of creative hobbies, including painting and crocheting and enjoy spending time at the library. One word Leila uses to describe themself: Resourceful
Joelly Funez
She/Her
Senior, Oakville High School
Joelly is in Wyman Leaders and will be graduating from high school this spring and wants to pursue a career in business or medicine. She loves to express herself and is a very open-minded person, interested in learning new things and hearing other points of view. One word Joelly uses to describe herself: Open
Missy Maness
She/Her
Senior, St. Louis University
Missy is in Wyman Leaders and will be graduating from college in 2024 with a degree in Business. She enjoys being outdoors, especially hiking and fishing, spending time with her family, and bought her first house at 20 years old. One word Missy uses to describe herself: Resilient
Jalen Mathis
He/Him
Revenue Management Analyst, Boeing
Jalen is a Wyman Leaders alumnus and graduated from Morehouse College in 2022 with a degree in Business Finance. He is an entrepreneur and recently moved to Seattle for his job at Boeing. One word Jalen uses to describe himself: Connector
YLC members are working to empower youth leadership and develop space for youth voice in St. Louis and the country.
Members are making positive connections, building confidence, and developing decision making and communication skills in new and powerful ways.
Youth in Action
Coming Soon!
Ask Us a Question!
Have a question for YLC? Submit it here!
