Monday, October 29, 2007
SWOP homepageNM Youth are both Present and Future
There are many that believe the negative stereotypes of our youth. Then there are young women like Shayna Lewis of Santa Fe that will stand in front of those people and tear apart the stereotypes. Shayna, a 19 year old native of Santa Fe, was appointed by Mayor David Coss and the Santa Fe City Councilors to the Planning Commission, which oversees real estate development projects and apply rules for land use on new developments. While she has attended her first couple of commission meetings, she has done so in the midst of controversy as some folks have questioned her background experience and asked for her removal from the commission.
This brings up the debate of experience on paper and experience on the ground. Shayna has plenty of field experience from growing up in communities of color and from her work with Youthworks, which is a non-profit organization that does river restoration and other services in and around Santa Fe. She has the experience and knowledge of understanding what is best for the COMMUNITY, and not what is best for profit. Her non-formal background should be labeled as a positive as she will bring forward new ideas from our states best resource, the community member. From that background, Shayna is a perfect candidate to sit on that seat and have her communities best interest and needs served.
Shayna continues to have support from Mayor Coss, but I am asking you and the rest of New Mexico to support her in her struggle and to continue to support the youth of color in this state, that are working toward a better New Mexico. Shayna has broken that barrier in Santa Fe, now we need the effect to trickle down I-25 to the Duke City where we need the youth voice to be heard!
This brings up the debate of experience on paper and experience on the ground. Shayna has plenty of field experience from growing up in communities of color and from her work with Youthworks, which is a non-profit organization that does river restoration and other services in and around Santa Fe. She has the experience and knowledge of understanding what is best for the COMMUNITY, and not what is best for profit. Her non-formal background should be labeled as a positive as she will bring forward new ideas from our states best resource, the community member. From that background, Shayna is a perfect candidate to sit on that seat and have her communities best interest and needs served.
Shayna continues to have support from Mayor Coss, but I am asking you and the rest of New Mexico to support her in her struggle and to continue to support the youth of color in this state, that are working toward a better New Mexico. Shayna has broken that barrier in Santa Fe, now we need the effect to trickle down I-25 to the Duke City where we need the youth voice to be heard!
Labels: Mayor Coss, Santa Fe Planning Commission, Shayna Lewis, youth
