City of Oklahoma City Mayor & Council, 8 Feb 2018

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From YouTube: From City Hall - Ward 3

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Ward 3 Youth Council members Jesus Ibañez and Oscar Larios talk about their future plans and the Youth Council program with Ward 3 Oklahoma City Councilman Larry McAtee.

A

Hi I'm Larry McAfee, Ward, 3, City, Councilman and I'm blessed today to have two of the next generation citizens of Oklahoma City here on our show to share with you what being on the Youth Council has meant to them this past six months, let's first off start with introducing yourself yeah, give a little background to our viewers so that they'll identify with you a little bit and we'll start with you, sir hello.

B

My name is Oscar Larios I'm, a senior at Santa face South High School heavily involved in student council on my school and I'm. Also, an athlete I run cross-country and track and outside of school I participated in triathlons.

B

Pretty much it now, you.

A

Say you participate in outside in some athletics, okay,.

B

A

Team has had some accessories here, haven't they? Yes, sir.

B

A

Give you so much chance to brag about him so.

B

This past track season, my relay team for the two-mile we qualified for state for the first year in our schools, history that was really I, wasn't expecting to qualify for state, but the qualified and cross country. We we qualified for state as well and I mean we've I've qualified since my freshman year, but this the season was really it was it was. It was really. It was really cool because there were so many fast runners and it was. It was really tough to stay, to keep my varsity spot.

B

So I've had a lot of successes with my athletics. Oh great.

A

Thank you for that. Hey so.

C

I'm his niece Yvonne, yes I'm from Panama City, West, high school and I'm, the senior I'm, also very heavily involved in my student council I'm, an athletic supporter, not necessarily an athlete anymore. I ball, varsity I'm, a vice president and co-founder of an organization called the sons and daughters of really which is our steric club and I'm, extremely proud of our this year's student section and outside of school and then previously very involved in my church and League of United Latin American citizens and also la brasa at my school. What.

A

Was that last one you just shared orders, la raza, Raza.

C

Which is my school's Hispanic Club, so to say which we are open to all ethnicities, but it's it's sort of what other schools was considered, sort of a Key Club, so to say where we do a lot of community service a lot of community projects and support higher education. What's.

A

One of those projects you've done this year, um we've.

C

A volunteer a lot with feed the children, feed.

A

The children portage a tremendous need for that in there did you get tired of packing food when you were down there helping? Oh.

C

No we're too busy having too much fun. You.

A

Have too much fun yeah? What's.

C

A

Others is fun, hey thanks for that background, guys that gives our viewers a little bit of War you've been up until now. What's the future look like to you, we'll start with you, I.

B

Definitely want to pursue higher education by going to college, and you know taking an advantage of the educational opportunities that I I've been you know given so I I have yet to decide which which University College I want to go to, but I I really have a passion for for giving back to my community and my father, he's he's been in construction for a while, so I want to own my own construction company and I kind of want to like work with my dad as well.

B

I want to start a business with him and really really give back to my community by you know doing doing. What's right with my, you know, feature employers, you know giving them all the tools they need for for themselves and their families wherever.

A

You're looking at college sure if you got a list of two or three or four that you've been looking at, you.

B

Know I have two right now that I'm I'm pretty sure I'm going to either or the University of Oklahoma or Whittier College in California out-of-state yeah, but I I definitely want to come back to Oklahoma City. It's I was raised here and you know all my roots come from here and I'm. Never gonna forget about those. So you know I I'm gonna, give back to the place that gave to me well.

A

That's fantastic, and so one of your choices and we've talked about this off-camera I have a little prejudiced in favor of that was, though you.

B

A

Putting any pressure on you: okay, hey just how about yourself, sir! So.

C

um This fall in 2018 I'm, gonna I plan to attend the University of Oklahoma and I'm majoring entrepreneurship and venture management and then hopefully go to a graduated school eventually I'm, looking at out-of-state in the schools right now for graduate school and so I can have that experience and then learn from there and then eventually come back to Oklahoma City as well.

C

So I can take what I've learned from from whatever squad choose to go to and use that here back in the city and with my degrees, I plan, I plan to open chains of businesses, and hopefully hopefully that will also open job opportunities for the people.

C

Oklahoma, City and I plan to expand those start Oklahoma and then once I get to where I want to be at economically I went over in a nonprofit organization that will support kids from minorities and broken families and struggling families here below the income rates and help them get into higher education through scholarship mentorship and giving opportunities in higher education.

A

Francha both fantastic visions for both of you. What what graduate schools have had to make a decision today, you're looking at right.

C

Now I'm, looking at NYU you're.

A

Not saying that because I graduated from NYU are you oh you.

C

Got in you graduated from Princeton, an issue that.

A

Was undergraduate but.

C

A

Degree came in business and.

C

Why you that's the information so.

A

That's a 33 I didn't throw a Avenue I, wish hey great great visions, six months in the Youth Council to hear what stands out in your mind, there's six months in.

B

These six months, well kind of I want to backtrack a little bit going into Youth Council I wasn't a hundred percent sure what I was walking into, but through these six months, I've I've really grown more of a more of a passion for this city, because now I know it's it's potential. It's really getting into its. You know, culmination stages and there's there's so much the the world doesn't know about Oklahoma City and what what what it's, what its gonna do, what its potential is.

B

So that was that's that I really set out to me its its potential.

A

So you have a passion to share that potential with other people. I do.

B

A

Great, how about you, haters I'm,.

C

Something that I didn't know about Oklahoma City before I came in a Youth Council. Is that how big Oakland she actually is it's one of the top five biggest cities in the nation, which is something that I thought was incredible. I hadn't I would have had no idea unless I was in youth.

A

Creative, but was one for it. I got a few other adjectives too, but when we'll go into those and.

C

And also how much more there is to the council and local politics and stuff it's more than just fixing potholes and a lot of stuff, which is what the majority of people like want to call a councilman for, but there's also like the new and upcoming projects such as the streetcar and all types of new and exciting things that I would have never learned in or I would have never knew that Oklahoma City, where I grew up in which people will tend to think it's boring and dried out.

C

But no it's it's just it's just starting like everything's just beginning, and it's something it's something amazing to see happen right before your eyes. So.

A

You see a great future for Oklahoma City. Oh.

C

Yes, in the near future, don't.

A

Screw it up: okay,.

C

A

That came before me have given us a tremendous opportunity and hopefully will take advantage of that as we move forward. If you were gonna, give a talk at your school over the Youth Council, and the purpose was to give those the students who were listening a brief synopsis of why it was important and to give an endorsement as to why they should get involved. What would you say you.

B

Know getting involved is my number one goal for my community. You know in order to have the great community, you need the community itself to be involved in itself. So you know, if you want to see change, you know you, you have to be the change.

B

So if, if you want to you know like case you set complain about you know, potholes or whatever you have to be the person who takes the initiative and the the that's the number one advice I want to give, but Youth Council itself, you have to have genuine passion for the for the community to really really really take really take things out of your experiences with it. You.

A

Know, we've kind of honed in on the positive side and your experience with the Youth Council. Have you seen any negatives that maybe we need to address in greater fervor and really attack you.

B

Know with with all these all these new experiences, I'm I'm gaining in all this knowledge through Youth, Council, I, see Oklahoma City strengths, but I also see their flaws. So it's it's! It's not like. You know, they're they're, trying to hide anything from us. You know they're exposing themselves for what it is and I really get to see. A lot of that- and you know there- there are a lot of conflicts because, because Oklahoma City is expanding and growing, there are a lot of conflicts between its it's people with citizens.

B

Some people don't want it to grow. Some people want to expand. Some people want to move into the rural areas. Some people don't want people to move into those rural areas. So with that comes conflict, and you know you just have to find solutions, that's what the community involvement is for. Well,.

A

I, like that, finding solutions, that's what community involvement is for hey-zeus, how about yourself, sir, so.

C

I would definitely recommend Youth Council for the the kids of Oklahoma City, especially those who don't who think that when the city is boring or that we don't have a lot to do in Oklahoma City, every meeting in Youth Council I get to see something exciting about Oklahoma City, like we've, went down to deep deuce and I've learned so much history about Oakland the city about how Martin Luther King actually came down here, but he didn't get a job at Calvary, Baptist, Church and that that made him go on a different path and so and then obviously we know where he went with that, and that did stage did such great things and then learning about brick, town and the beginning of the, like Devon tower.

C

All those things that that that a lot of people don't see like and also learning about art word art, Ward 3, how how there's the Commission of parking and transportation and embark and Will Rogers Airport, seeing old singing all the behind the scenes about that, and all everything that goes into that and just it's a great learning experience and I would encourage a lot of Oklahoma City kids to to go for Youth Council. Thank.

A

You for taking the time to involve yourself in Youth, Council I know it's a it's a stretch with everything else you got going with your athletics. Your church work your school work. Thank you for dedicating time to that, and thank you for sharing that with our viewers. Folks, the future of Oklahoma City is bright.

A

The reason young men like this, who have a passion who have a perspective who are willing to roll up their sleeves and go to work, may God bless you in your future life as you continue to serve others and may God bless each of you as citizens of Oklahoma City. We move forward together for progress to improve the quality of life for all our citizens. Thank you for watching.

A