FEATURE pursuing her masters in biomedical engineering after graduating. As a member of Teen Council from 2015-2017, she sees value in the leadership skills and confidence she was able to take on to college. “Teen Council gives the teenage community a voice and an opportunity to express themselves freely and positively. It gave me confidence to voice my opinion and the tenacity I needed as a growing adult,” Nthabi pointed out. “I think teens have something positive to look forward to with the help of Teen Council.” The safe space for teens that this organization creates enables young students to discover how to become confident young adults. For this reason, Nthabi felt it would be a disservice to her community to have gained the tools she did during her time on the council and not pay it forward so that the next generation could do the same. “We all have the same goal: to see the success of Teen Council and watch it grow. My role now is to be a bridge between the younger and older communities and help guide the teenagers and use their voice in an impactful way,” she observed. One of her favorite memories of Teen Council was the team-building trip, as it brought her out of her shell and helped her bond with other members. She experienced how important it was that the Council receive support from their community, as well. She hopes this support will continue this year for the new team of students. “They will be working hard every day to try to come up with fun and safe ideas, especially with our current situation. Support them in any way possible,” she implored. “Help them as they try to find a way to create positive outlets within the community.”
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NOAH BRAKEFIELD Noah Brakefield graduated from Thompson High School with the class of 2019 and was a member of Teen Council all four years. He’s currently preparing to start his sophomore year at the University of Alabama. To Noah, the value of Teen Council was knowing that the team was making a difference in other teens’ lives, as well as developing strong leadership skills in themselves. “I think Teen Council provides teens in our community with safe and fun ways to enjoy themselves and to connect with other people their age,” he acknowledged. “I was very involved in high school leadership groups; however, I can definitely say I learned more about leadership and teamwork from Teen Council than any other group I participated in.” His absolute favorite Teen Council memories were made when working at the “I Cared Enough” event. “This event always took place before Thanksgiving and we helped put together bags filled
with groceries for homeless and other people who were struggling in downtown Birmingham, then served them Thanksgiving lunch.” This leader is choosing to invest in the next generation of Teen Council because it was something he was very passionate about and which he truly believes is a positive part of the Alabaster community. His role with Teen Council this year is to help provide any resources the council might need to successfully host their events. He will be communicating with city officials or any other organizations that might be of assistance. He identified what this year’s Teen Council needs most during this upcoming school season – more than anything – is patience. “We want life to return to normal as soon as possible so we can continue to host events. However, that can’t happen until COVID starts to get better. So, I encourage everyone reading this to be careful and to do your part to help us get back to normal!” AC
