Letter to the Editor: Brewster Resident Reflects on Ball's Student Advisory Council

Editor,

I believe that being a part of something bigger than yourself is one of the most important things someone can do. Commitment to service should be a core value for everyone, and I am glad that State Sen. Greg Ball has provided students like myself an opportunity to do just that.

Being the co-chairman of Sen. Ball's Student Advisory Council is one of my accomplishments that I am most proud of. This past October, I helped organize the mock senate session, where students from all over the 40th District of New York were invited to participate in a mock legislative session up in Albany in the Senate Chambers. Being able to see the Capitol was a treat in itself, as I had never been to Albany before, but being able to debate with other students about real bills in the actual Senate chambers was an unforgettable experience that I wouldn't have been able to participate in had it not been for Senator Ball. In school, we unfortunately learn very little about the legislative process. It affects us every day, but we don't learn much about the complicated process of a bill becoming a law, especially at the state level. This allowed me and over 50 other students to learn, hands on, how these laws that affect us daily are enacted.

There are many issues affecting students today that are never addressed. They are pushed under the rug and left to fester until they become even bigger problems. Sen. Ball's Student Advisory Council provides a forum for these issues to be addressed, and more importantly for solutions to be proposed by determined and committed students with Sen. Ball's advisement. I  am looking forward to tackling several of these issues that I have in mind. The Student Advisory Council is only as good as the students it is made up of, and determined students with a commitment to service are needed. I would appreciate it if these highly motivated students contacted my at dpodgorski@ball4ny.com or 845-222-9243. The more students we have, the more successful it will be.

Thank you Sen. Ball for providing students like myself an opportunity to help others and make an impact.     

Sincerely,

Drew Podgorski       

Brewster