Teen Council Feature

NEXT GENERATION LEADERS

Alabaster’s Teen Council was created as a way for local high school students to express their leadership abilities and to start carrying some responsibility for their community. The next step in this leadership development process has begun. Four former Teen Council members, Abby Grace, Gracie Coker, Noah Brakefield, and Nthabi Mashego, are now interns working directly with the current Teen Council.

ABBY GRACE WALKER

Abby Grace Walker just graduated from Thompson High School this year. She was a member of Teen Council all four years of her high school career, and she says it was one of her favorite involvements. "I loved getting to have a hand in our community. I loved the movie nights, the Slip N’ Slide, and everything else we did. It was always such a fun experience to get to see all the teens in our community come out and have a blast and I wouldn’t trade my time on the council for the world!" she exclaimed.

Her favorite Teen Council memory was being chosen by the Mayor to attend the inaugural Mayors' National Youth Summit last summer in Los Angeles, CA. "This was such an amazing opportunity to represent our council as well as getting to learn valuable lessons from councils similar to ours all across the country."

Abby Grace found that learning how to be a servant leader was of great value. For her, the Teen Council experience showed that leading is not all about oneself. Rather, leading is about getting a team to the finish line and making sure everyone feels accomplished in the end. "Not only did I learn how to lead well, but I also learned how to serve my community in a leadership role and be a positive role model for others my age."

She enjoyed the feeling of making a difference every time the Teen Council held an event for the other students in the community, "We provided a safe environment for teens to come out and just enjoy each other’s presence."

Abby Grace is choosing to invest her time back into the next generation of Teen Council because it was such an important and life changing part of her high school career. "I want to make sure I invest all that I know into them so that the council can be the best it can be!" she explained.

This year's Teen Council needs are unique, especially because of COVID-19. Trying to find safe events for teens to do together may be a bit of a struggle, so they encourage community members to share ideas and places that may be of assistance. "I am extremely thankful for the students on the council this year who have

been willing to work with us and also work with the difficult changes we have had to face this year," she acknowledged.

Abby Grace plans to attend the University of Alabama and get a degree in Collaborative Elementary Education. Her dream job is to be an Elementary Special Education teacher.

GRACIE COKER

Gracie Coker is a 2019 Thompson High School graduate and four-year alum of Teen Council. She is now pursuing a double major in public relations and communication studies at the University of Alabama. During this school season, she will be at her home campus in Tuscaloosa, but will stay connected with those in Teen Council to offer a helping hand.

Gracie admits that when she was first selected to be on Teen Council as a freshman, she had no idea what to expect. “Little did I know that Teen Council would give me so many opportunities and be one of the best experiences of my high school career!” she said gratefully.

As a former Teen Council member, Gracie discovered how much of an impact the organization makes. During her years as a Teen Council student, she was able to learn from the City’s human resources department and the information technology department, as well as shadow the court magistrate, the Alabaster Fire Department, and the Mayor. In addition, she volunteered with the Humane Society, ICE (“I Cared Enough” Foundation), the Salvation Army, Mitchell's Place, and many other non-profit organizations.

“On Teen Council, I was able to help coordinate big events in Alabaster such as City Fest, Back to School Bash, Teen Movies in the Park, the Slip ‘n’ Slide event, and other small events we covered,” she recalled. “With Teen Council, I was able to have a voice and to reach out and help my community.”

One of her favorite memories dated back to her very first team meeting. “We met up at Family Connections to bond as a team. Nobody really knew anyone yet, but we spent the entire day going through trusting and teamwork activities… I never failed to come out of that day with a newfound friend.”

When she got the offer to serve in this capacity for the summer, she was thrilled! “I am here to help the Teen Council members with whatever I can, especially knowing that now is a confusing time with everything going on. I – as well as my peer interns – am here to guide, answer questions, help them get in touch with others in the community, help their social media presence and to do whatever else they need,” she shared. “This is their show, we are just the backstage helpers making sure everything runs smoothly.”

NTHABI MASHEGO

Nthabi Mashego is currently a senior mechanical engineering major at Alabama A&M University. She plans on