My name is Maritza Gonzalez, a sophomore at Santa Ana High School that has now been in Youth and Government for nearly three months. As a current Santa Ana High School debate team member I felt that joining this program would help me in not only debate rounds but with my whole debate experience. I felt that joining Youth and Government would also be a steppingstone for my future goals. As an aspiring political science major, programs such as these seem to work in favor of in maintaining my future goals. What I hope to get out of more work in this program is not only better leadership skills but also a better sense of what the governmental process is like in California and what kind of rolls we can play in our future. The major thing I'd like to accomplish while being in this program is possibly passing a bill. The bill I'd like to pass would change most Californians perceive our youth groups and what they can think of to change our state and possibly our country.

Maritza Gonzalez