California YMCA Youth & Government

Bimonthly Newsletter: May 2025

24th Model United Nations Program: 

Meet our 2 Secretaries-General,

Liam Painter & Aditi Arora

Our Youth & Government program for middle school students, Model United Nations, is in its 24th year. Each year our program is presided over by a peer-elected Secretary General. Each regional program has their own Secretary General and this year we have been amazed by our youth leaders, Aditi Arora (Northern California) and Liam Painter (Southern California).

Both of these young leaders have spent many hours learning and planning in order to help provide the best experience possible to their respective regions. Each has their own particular point of emphasis which they have encouraged Ambassadors to hold in mind as they work to create resolutions and non-governmental organizations to better serve their communities and the world.

In Northern California, Aditi will be emphasizing the importance of education and how that can help to resolve many other issues, including immigration concerns. Liam agrees that a universal primary education could make an enormous difference for the global community, and also encouraged his Ambassadors to look to the future, using new technologies to help improve people’s quality of life.

As our program year is close to ending, we find that these two young people have had a transformative impact on our programming and left us buoyed by their exuberance and hope for a better future. In the words of our 24th Secretary General from Southern California, Liam Painter, “In the uncertain time of change in our state, in our nation, and in our world, it is now, more than ever, important to look forward with hope and optimism.”

Life in the 24th MUN Secretariat

At our 24th SoCal Model United Nations (MUN) Summit, our high schoolers got to mentor in the middle school Youth & Government MUN Program as the MUN Secretariat, the administrative body of the UN. From helping our middle school committee chairs, to explaining non-governmental organizations, to giving speech feedback in the inaugural International Court of Justice MUN program, our high schoolers stayed busy!

The Secretariat program is a great way for our high schoolers to give back to our Y&G middle schoolers, and a great way to connect with other MLC delegates! Our high school Y&G delegates apply and are selected from all over California. The Secretariat Program is more than just helping the MUN ambassadors, but a chance to expand leadership skills, connect with new faces, and impromptu snowball fights!

A special thank you to Secretariat Advisor Mark Linscomb for his great work guiding the teens at the 24th SoCal Model United Nations Summit at Pali Retreat!

Cal Y Y&G is now on to the NorCal 24th MUN Summit May 16-18 at YMCA Camp Loma Mar in Loma Mar, CA. We look forward to working with the NorCal Secretariat! Great Work!

Model Legislature & Court’s Diamond Thrower and Jennifer Novak, our Co-Leads for the INTERNS!

Our Intern program engages young adults ages 18-21 who have chosen to give back to the program and to help guide the high school Model Legislature & Court program delegates from across the state. Please meet your Co-Lead Volunteers and hear from a couple of interns.

Diamond: I’m thrilled to be one of Y&G’s leaders for this internship year! With over four years of experience in the Intern Program, I am deeply committed to fostering the growth of our initiative and nurturing emerging leaders among both interns and the broader program. We can’t wait to present the upcoming interns with an incredible program this year, emphasizing professional development, community engagement, and personal growth. 

Jen: I’ve been involved with the Youth & Government program since 1985 as a delegate, advisor, volunteer, fundraiser, parent, and Board member. I’m excited to help lead the Intern Program and continue to help our next generation of volunteers and community leaders. For next year, my focus will be to strengthen the interns' career and life skills, such as team collaboration, conflict resolution, understanding generational differences, public speaking, resume and interview workshops and more! And, I hope to do this in the most Y spirited and fun, supportive way. 

Intern Testimonials

Shelby: 

The Y&G Intern Program granted me the opportunity to give back and serve the program that shaped me as a delegate, helping me to stay involved and connected with the Y as I move into college and adulthood. As an intern, I developed delegates’ knowledge of California’s government systems and legislative processes, as well as their public speaking and collaboration skills, helping them grow throughout the course of the program year. Growth opportunities were also afforded to me as an intern, as our professional development was prioritized through educational sessions and one-on-one help with resumes and interviews. Interns also worked in a like-minded community, helping me to gain new friendships and connections with those of similar age who shared a passion for the Y and civic engagement. 

Danny: 

The past two years as both intern, and intern manager have been very rewarding and full of new experiences and personal growth. With multiple opportunities to continue networking with peers among my own age, mentors and people from many different backgrounds whom are very knowledgeable about their respective field of expertise, as well as having the ability to shape the experience that is helping guide the freshman within the program to succeed and have amazing experience, their first year within the program. I have an opportunity to work with multiple amazing other college students within the program and take in feedback from them as well as learn different things from them which is absolutely amazing and something that I value most about the intern program, because the ability to learn from others points of views is definitely something that I cherish the most about the Y&G experience that has definitely continued on into the intern program. I did also have a great time working with the program staff that were assisting and guiding me through the entire program both as an intern and intern manager and I’m looking forward to my final year in the intern program next year.

Conference on National Affairs

(CONA) Update!

After several Zoom calls and online work sessions with mentor groups, the California Conference of National Affairs (CONA) delegation met in person to begin preparations for this summer’s competition. Over Easter weekend, the delegation made their way to Belkin International in El Segundo for the training conference. The team enjoyed bonding activities, game nights, shared meals, an Easter egg hunt, and many hours of group feedback and work on their proposals. “I got here and sat down and we all immediately started talking. Everyone has just been so friendly and so supportive with all the proposals.” said Zev, a first year CONA delegate from the Miller YMCA. By the end of the weekend, every delegate finalized their proposals and began practicing their speeches for the competition in North Carolina and the highly anticipated training trip to Washington DC.

Alumni Highlight: Gina Banks Daly

After graduating from Claremont McKenna College, I moved to Washington, DC to work for Senator Dianne Feinstein on her Senate Judiciary Committee. As the only non-lawyer on that staff, it was my job to help analyze the written statements and speeches of judicial nominees, including several who now sit on the US Supreme Court. I left the Hill to get my Masters in Public Policy at UC Berkeley, and then was brought back to Feinstein's San Francisco office to be her Director of Field Services for Northern California. I represented the Senator in 28 Northern California counties, including advising the Senator on local, regional and statewide issues. I currently serve as the Director of Federal Relations for UC Berkeley, where I am the chief federal advocate for the campus, including serving as spokesperson for federal policymakers and administrative officials. I work with the regional Congressional delegation and appropriators to increase federal research funding, student financial aid and prevent budget cuts. I have also served in leadership positions for the Association of American Universities (AAU) and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), including as the elected Chair of the Council on Government Affairs for APLU. I also was elected to the San Rafael City Schools Board of Education in November 2020 and represented Marin County at the California School Boards Association.

“Youth and Government plays an incredibly important role in educating the next generation of leaders and inspiring youth to become involved in civic organizations. The most important lesson I learned is that speaking truth to power is not only important, but necessary for a well-functioning democracy. I like to think that Y&G is educating a new generation of people who will speak up for the issues and causes they feel strongly about. There is no greater gift than teaching someone that they have something important to bring to our society.“

Upcoming Events

• May 16-18, 24th Model United Nations Nor-Cal Summit (YMCA Camp Loma Mar, Loma Mar)

• June 14-15, 78th Model Legislature & Court Program Lead Volunteer Retreat (Los Angeles)

• June 19, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Next Board of Managers Meeting (virtual)

• June 25 - July 4, Conference on National Affairs (Appalachian State University, Boone, NC)

• July 25 - August 1, National Judicial Competition (St. Paul, MN)