West Chester, Pa (Abril 28, 2025) – Twenty-three students from the West Chester Area, Tredyffrin-Easttown, and Oxford Area School Districts recently got a firsthand look at what it’s like to work in the Pennsylvania Senate as part of state Senator Carolyn Comitta’s Student Advisory Council.
The council, now in its third year, brought together high school juniors from across Chester County over 11 weeks to learn about state government and share their views, interests, and perspectives. Each week they learned about the operations of Senator Comitta’s office including constituent services, the budget process, crafting legislation, public policy, media and communications, the regulatory process, event planning, and more.
“One of my favorite things about being a State Senator is the opportunity to talk and interact with our young people,” said Comitta, a former public-school teacher who serves on the Senate Education Committee. “Their passion and advocacy on these issues was inspiring and thought-provoking. And I learned so much by hearing their perspectives on current events and discussing their hopes and dreams for the future.”
This spring, the council culminated in each student pitching their ideas for legislation: from expanding voter education to enhancing the understanding of our legal system to waste composting programs in public schools, the students made presentations on a wide variety of topics.
In addition, students participated activities including touring the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg, volunteering at the West Chester Food Cupboard, meeting with a leading lobbyist to learn about effective advocacy, participating in a Senate Mock Policy Hearing, and advocating for legislation that they believe Senator Comitta should co-sponsor.
Lily Chen, of Conestoga High School and the Design Editor of the Conestoga school newspaper, stated “The Council provided a rare opportunity to engage with state-level policy discussions and learn from public service professionals who are deeply committed to their work for the Commonwealth. I greatly appreciated the chance to collaborate with other driven students interested in public policy and gain real-world insight into diverse aspects of the state legislative process. This was an incredibly formative experience that affirmed my passion for public service and policy.”
Jonah Ullman, a Oxford Area High School student and President of the Class of 2026, said “Senator Comitta’s Student Advisory Council taught me a lot about politics at the state level, more than my government class ever could. It was an eye-opening experience. There is so much that goes into state government that I was previously unaware of, and I’m so glad that I participated.”
Each year, Senator Comitta hosts the Student Advisory Council from Enero to Abril with applications opening in Noviembre. For more information, reach out to: [email protected].