Mentee to Mentor
4/16/2024
Mount Student Helps Guide Formation of the Bronx Youth Council
Mount student Orangel Mejia ’25 does it all: a double major in both history and public policy, an orientation leader, a New York State Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program scholar, and the current Student Body President (as only a junior, might we add!), we often wonder where he finds time to sleep…
But, sleeping would take time away from the four short years Orangel has at the University of Mount Saint Vincent, and he wants to do and accomplish as much as he can.
“My parents instilled in me a conscientious and devoted work ethic,” Orangel said. “Even when I’m tired, I keep going because I know there is always more work to be done.”
A student leader through and through, Orangel now has the opportunity to inspire the next generation of aspiring club leaders, student government presidents, resident assistants, and more through his work with the Bronx Youth Council (BYC), which was launched just shy of a year ago in May 2023.
“The Bronx Youth Council is a youth advisory board to the Office of the Bronx Borough President,” shared Nereida Gomez, Education Liaison for the Office of the Bronx Borough President. “The purpose of the initiative is to encourage civic engagement, create transparency around local government, and provide participants with opportunities to develop their advocacy and leadership skills. This inaugural cohort of the Bronx Youth Council is composed of high school juniors, seniors, and sophomores who participate in meetings with Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, Deputy Borough President Janet Peguero, and various Borough President staff to provide input on outreach plans and inform priorities.”
Still in its foundational stages, it is important to note that the BYC is an entirely youth-led initiative.
“We should not talk about what affects youth without including youth,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “We should be having young people in those spaces.”
Who better to help mentor and guide this group of eager students than someone who was in their shoes not too long ago?
This is, of course, where Orangel comes into the story.
Jump back in time with us to September 2023: the start of the current academic year. In an effort to expose University of Mount Saint Vincent students to different types and styles of leadership, Director for the Center for Leadership Andrew (Drew) Curiel ’18 put together a class where students would have the opportunity to hear and learn from different local leaders. One of those leaders just so happened to be Deputy Borough President Janet Peguero, who led an inspiring conversation on the importance of youth involvement in civic leadership.
After Janet’s visit, Drew made sure to keep in touch with the Office of the Borough President. Nereida later reached out to him in December 2023 to see if Drew knew of a Mount Saint Vincent student who might be interested in serving as a mentor of sorts to the first cohort of students in the BYC.
“Orangel immediately came to mind,” Drew recalled.
Not only is Orangel the perfect fit due of his role as Student Body President at the Mount, he’s also currently interning for the Bronx Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) (a subdivision office of the Borough President), led by President Rob Walsh—who happens to be Orangel’s mentor in the Mount Mentors Program!
Orangel already had the unique opportunity to gain first-hand insight into the inner workings of Bronx local government through his internship with Rob at the BEDC. At the same time, he’s able to directly apply the advice he learns from Rob as his mentor.
“Giving Orangel the opportunity to see both sides of the equation as both a mentee and a mentor is an experience that’s pretty unique to Mount Saint Vincent,” Drew added. “I knew engaging him with the BYC would provide him with the opportunity to develop even deeper as a leader outside the classroom, so I encouraged him to dive in headfirst.”
Gathering his peers from the Mount Saint Vincent Student Government Association (SGA), Orangel helped form an advisory board for the high school students in the BYC.
“So far, I’ve attended each Bronx Youth Council meeting since the new year and I’ve helped provide the students with a structure for their meetings,” shared Orangel. “I’ve given them a copy of our Student Government Association constitution to use as a model for their own, and some students even attended our recent campus Town Hall Meeting to get a feel of what it could be like to run an event like that with local Bronx leaders.”
Orangel is helping to create a blueprint for youth participation in the Bronx. He understands that, before change can be enacted, the BYC needs to establish a strong mission statement and both short-term and long-term goals.
“Orangel supports the Bronx Youth Council in an advisory role using his leadership experience with the University of Mount Saint Vincent Student Government Association to support the Bronx Youth Council in discussions around the creation of Bylaws,” said Nereida. “He helps facilitate discussions about the function of a procedural document and how the SGA uses it to empower student leaders.”
All involved with the project agree that it is essential that today’s youth learn how to identify issues in their communities and utilize the tools and resources available to them to create positive change and build a sustainable future for the Bronx.
“Every single one of us is born with a voice,” Orangel shared. “Why not help the next generation—my peers—learn how to use their voice now?”
This is only just the beginning for the BYC.
The Mount is ever grateful for its constantly growing list of community partnerships and can now count the Bronx Youth Council among them. Our corner of the world might be small here in the Bronx, but even our students know and understand the important role they play in growing the future of the place we call home.
“Learn, lead, serve. That’s the motto the Center for Leadership instills in every student who comes to us interested in developing as a leader both in and outside of the classroom,” said Drew.
And Orangel is doing just that.
The best news of all? Orangel is only a junior, so he still has another year left to make his mark both at the Mount and within the community. This won’t be the last time we share about his story—stay tuned for updates on Orangel, the Bronx Youth Council, and all of our students making headway as the next generation of Bronx leaders and beyond.
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers a nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the University equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment, and leadership in the 21st century.