By: Lucile Choudhury
Gene Yoon, an 11th grader at CHS, was one out of sixty-nine high-school students picked across the state of Georgia to represent the Student Advisory Council in the capital building this school year. Yoon represents Columbus High and Muscogee County as a representative for paramount decision-making.
Georgia Student Advisory Council works with Superintendent Richard Woods to provide feedback on the impact of state policies in the classroom, discuss other education-related issues, and be a part of service projects to positively impact schools and students.
The acceptance process was demanding, with selection based on the strength of their essay answers. To be designated, students have to be involved in the school, community, and leadership activities.
Yoon currently stands as the captain of the Debate Team at Columbus High, a member of the Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus, and a player in the Columbus Cottonmouths Hockey Team. While involved in these clubs and activities, Yoon serves as a positive influence among many, in and out of school.
For the application process, Yoon offered a plethora of ideas to impact the overall quality of public education in Georgia. He also listed one topic he would like to discuss if selected for the council.
“I would like to create opportunities in public education for teens to learn and develop empathy,” Yoon states.
Yoon highlights that in today's day and age, “...empathy [needs] to be taught as this young generation has become desensitized to how their actions affect other people.”
Yoon is very excited about participating in the council this year and assisting the school board in salient decision-making for the welfare of students across the state of Georgia.
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