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The Summit for All, The Summit for Youth.
Imagine being selected out of millions of youth in New York City—yet alone in the Bronx to attend an annual Youth Summit in Albany, that was the reality for Me, Scott Donaldson, Amber Acosta & Anthony Gordon. Now you may ask yourself, “How were we selected to attend?”, “What was it like there?” & one bonus question being “Was the food good?!”. In this article I’ll be answering all your questions & giving an insider’s perspective from the ASE scholars that were able to attend this event.
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I’m a part of an organisation called N.O.M.W ( NOT ON MY WATCH ) an organisation where we exemplify advocacy/leadership, spread awareness on teen domestic dating violence & human-trafficking. Alongside my peers we have made immense contributions to society & was given an opportunity on behalf of the Bronx DA ( Darcel Clark ) to accompany a few members on her team on a long journey to Albany! ( that rhymed ). Fast forward, after a 3 hour long drive we finally had arrived! This was my first time in Albany & let me tell you it was very cold there; but despite the weather it was a beautiful building & had a magnificent medieval structure.
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After going inside I was greeted by a plethora of booths—each booth discussing what their organisation was based on & their main mission. My booth discussed elements of the organisation I’m in, further spreading awareness on how others can be advocates in their community & how to prevent human–trafficking. In addition, I noticed my fellow friends Amber, Scott, & Anthony—we conversed about the different organizations that were around & afterwards we were asked to go into the auditorium.
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After the show was finished we all conversed about what happened & what we most enjoyed. According to Amber Acosta ( Chief Executive Writer ), “The show was beautiful—showcasing the opportunities amongst youth in this day & age.” I agreed with Amber, as ages ranging from 5-17 in the crowd were given the opportunity to go on stage with political figures to discuss societal issues & how to fix them. Furthermore, Scott Donaldson exclaimed, “In order to strive we must make our commuting flourish.” During this event, unification was shown a lot—despite age range, race or gender there was a sense of community & love.
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Finally, it was time for the best part—the food! I was able to try a new delicacy called Herbie’s Burgers in Albany & it was very good.
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In addition to eating, before I left I was able to catch up with Anthony Gordon & I started to ask him questions as well. He stated, “My trip to Albany was amazing and eventful. While I was there I learned a lot about African history and its importance on a day to day basis. The best part is I was able to go there with my friends ( Scott & Amber)—then saw another one of my friends along the way ( Omya ). Overall, it was a very fun trip”
While I was on the coach bus & watched as the snow fell down hard—but beautifully in Albany, I said to myself on what an eventful day this was, with opportunities, with friends & most of all food.