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Palo Alto Youth Council
Become and advocate for your community. Join and start making a difference in your community!
Overview
The Palo Alto Youth Council (PAYC) is a group of 15-20 highly dedicated high school students who serve as youth ambassadors to the City Council. Their purpose is to foster communications and connections between teens and the greater Palo Alto community. To achieve its mission statement, PAYC is actively engaged in the community and identifies and addresses the key concerns that teenagers face.
Some of the programs PAYC has implemented in recent years include the 'Escaping Vaping', 'College Admissions after COVID', 'Finals Study Cram Slam', 'Palopalooza', as well as teen surveys and community service events. The PAYC is a great opportunity for high school students to conduct themselves as professionals and grants them the freedom to take on active leadership roles.
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How to become a member
Submit a completed application via online form
Applications will be reviewed and interviews will be scheduled with enthusiastic and eligible candidates
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Attend and pass an interview with the committee
Applicants are required to attend and pass an interview with the nominating committee
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Applications, Letter of Recommendations, and Video
Applications, including a letter of recommendation, and introductory video, will be accepted NO LATER than the scheduled deadline. Any applications that are missing any of the following including an interview will not be considered for membership
Returning members are exempt from providing a Letter of Recommendation, and their previous term's contribution will be used instead.
Upcoming Events and Current Initiatives
PAYC September Newsletter
Email us to subscribe
Each month, The Palo Alto-gether dissects a new political issue, covers local youth-organized initiatives, and offers ways to become civically engaged.
Palo Alto Youth Council Members 23 - 24
Hi! I'm Olivia Chiang, a senior at The Nueva School, and your Palo Alto Youth Council President. This year, I am excited to work closely with the City Council to address mental health concerns, bridge political divides, boost civic engagement, and encourage PA community bonding. I am also passionate about music, public forum debate, and Mongolian barbeque. I look forward to a great year!
My Name is Natya Chandrasekar and I am a junior at Castilleja School in Palo Alto. I am so thrilled to be the Vice-President of the Palo Alto Youth Council for the 202-2024 year! I can't wait to collaborate with my peers and the city council to make positive change in Palo Alto. In my free time, I love singing, playing tennis, embroidering, and spending time with my family.
Hi, my name is Melinda Huang.
Hi, my name is Priscilla Chan, and I am a junior at Castilleja. I am serving as a Palo Alto Youth Council Public Information Officer. I am thrilled to be part of a group that focuses on issues that matter to youth and works to improve teen engagement. In my free time, I enjoy solving crosswords, playing volleyball, eating ramen, and going to Great America.
Hi, my name is Joshua
Hi! My name is Alyssa Lin and I’m a junior at Palo Alto High School. I’m so excited to make an impact in my community and work with my peers at the PAYC. In my free time, I enjoy playing field hockey, trying new foods, and spending time with friends and family.
My name is Rhea Josyula and I am a Junior at Gunn High School. I am super excited to be part of PAYC this year and am looking forward to making a difference in our community. I am very passionate about mental health, especially in teens and love advocating for using music to help teens overcome stress and other mental health disorders! Some of my favorite things to do in my free time are sing, hang out with my friends, and play with my puppy: Dobby.
Hi! I'm Zoya, a Sophomore at Gunn High School, and this is my first year at PAYC. I am really excited to be part of the Palo Alto Youth Council, and I hope to help with increasing civil engagement and helping to raise awareness of the concerns of teens. In my free time, I enjoy playing the piano, reading books, and exploring Palo Alto with my friends and family.
Hi! My name is Maddie and I am a freshman at Castilleja. I’m so excited to be a part of PAYC this year, and am aiming to promote and spread messages about body positivity in the Palo Alto teen community. In my free time, I enjoy reading, crocheting/knitting, and volunteering.
Freshman Vin Bhat is extremely excited to join the Palo Alto Youth Council this year and is looking forward to making an impact on the Palo Alto community. He enjoys playing guitar, programming, and listening to music in his spare time.
Hi, I’m Michael Matta and I am a sophomore at Gunn High School. I’m am excited to be a part of Payc and help to better the community this year. In my free time I go to the gym, create music, and hanging out with friends and family.
Hi! My name is Jillian, and I’m a senior at Castilleja. I’m so excited to be on the council this year, and I hope to increase civic engagement among teens in Palo Alto. In my free time I enjoy reading, baking, and spending time with friends in family.
I am a junior, and this is my second year at PAYC. I am excited to be making an impact across Palo Alto this year, especially in the areas of civic engagement and voter registration! In my free time, I love to play the violin, code in Swift, study competitive chemistry, and play soccer.
Hi! My name is Vivian Lin and I'm a junior at Palo Alto High School. I am so excited to be part of PAYC this year and I look forward to making a positive impact on my community. In my free time, I enjoy doing photography, playing piano, and traveling.
Hello! My name is Dolly Wu and I'm a sophomore at Gunn High. I'm very excited to be a part of PAYC this year and look forward to working with the City Council to address key issues the youth in our community is facing right now, especially the topic of mental health. Besides this, I am also very passionate about music, debate, and philosophy.
Hi! My name is Anika Raffle and I am a junior at Paly. Outside of school and PAYC, I spend most of my time rowing, hanging out with friends, and reading with my cats. I am super psyched to be on PAYC and I’m looking forward to being a part of everything we create this year!
Hi! I'm Zara Mukhtar and I'm currently a junior at Gunn High School. I'm so excited and grateful to be a part of PAYC this year. I'm really looking forward to trying to bridge the social gap between teenagers and also help with isolation in our community. Some things I like to do in my free time include singing in choir, photography, listening to Taylor Swift, and spending time with my friends.
Hello! I'm Keerath Pujji, a junior at Palo Alto High School. I'm thrilled to be serving our community this year as a member of PAYC! In my free time, I love filmmaking, programming, and baking.
Hi, I'm Matthew Lee, a senior from Woodside Priory School. This is my second year on PAYC, and I'm excited to tackle civic engagement this year!
My name is Anthony Ho and I am a senior at Gunn High School. I am so excited to serve on PAYC this year and look forward to contributing to our community. In my free time, I enjoy swimming, playing piano, traveling, and spending time with my friends and family!