KANNAPOLIS — The Kannapolis Youth Council is currently accepting applications from high schoolers who are interested in playing a role in learning what it takes for a community to operate. 

Any high school aged student who lives within city limits is allowed to apply. The Kannapolis city website says that the council’s objectives is “to create opportunities for students to become engaged in leadership development, provide avenues for high school students to volunteer, develop leadership skills, develop high standards for behavior, to refine communication abilities, practice teamwork and to have a line of communication to the adult leadership in the decision-making process of the city.”

When Ally Zendejas joined her sophomore year, she was nervous because she was the only student from Cox Mill High School to be on the council, but that feeling quickly vanished after she got to know everyone else. 

“It was a little intimidating at first being the only person,” Zendejas said. “It was such an inclusive environment that I never really felt left out or that I wasn’t welcomed. It was really great and it taught me how to connect with other people and it helped that we all had similar values.”

Zendejas said the council participated in all kinds of service projects that ranged from painting rocks, volunteering at the “Jiggy with the Piggy” festival, to handing out Christmas gifts with Cooperative Christian Ministry to kids who were living in transitional housing. 

Zendejas said the council’s boots on the ground dynamic assisted her in fully realizing what she was capable of. 

“Coming from someone who didn’t have a lot of leadership experience prior to youth council, I think it really opened my eyes as to how much I loved to lead,” Zendejas said. “I didn’t have a lot of leadership experience before I joined the youth council, but I know it was something that interested me. So, being able to thrive in an environment like the youth council showed me that I can do it in a setting outside of the youth council as well.”

Zendejas has since been admitted to UNC-Chapel Hill where she studies pre-business. She credits the youth council as the inspiration in choosing her major and for pushing her to be a part of various service groups. 

“I totally recommend joining,” Zendejas said. “The way it’s formatted is you really do get out of it what you put into it.”

Brock Morgan, a former student at A.L. Brown High School, was personally selected by Mayor Darrell Hinnant to be co-chair of the council, along with Alison Gordon, after he found out he started a petition to change the name of Woodrow Wilson Elementary School. 

The youth council guided Morgan in gaining an aptitude for taking command in a group setting by considering what the people around him wanted. 

“The council helped me to be a better leader as far as delegating different tasks to team members and fitting into a team environment by taking into account the thoughts and emotions of all involved,” Morgan said. 

While on the council, Morgan best remembers when the fire department took him on a ride in a fire truck and the presentation he gave to the city council about all they accomplished throughout the year. 

Morgan is now enrolled at Howard University where he uses the lessons acquired from the council in his everyday life. As he juggles playing football, staying on the dean’s list, and pursuing a broadcast journalism degree, Morgan encourages any high school student to give the Kannapolis Youth Council a shot. 

“I would absolutely recommend that all high schoolers become council members,” Morgan said. 

Council applications are due by March 11 at 5 p.m.

*This story has been edited for clarification.