Hello! My name is Malia Burgos (she/her) and I attend New Britain High School. I have been part of the Youth Leadership Council (YLC) for 3 years. My favorite part of this group has been making a positive impact on my community, followed by meeting amazing people in the world of prevention. I joined YLC because I wanted to take a bigger part in the development of my community. When I’m not taking part in the council, I enjoy playing varsity basketball and softball for New Britain High School Golden Hurricanes. In the future, I would like to pursue a career in the medical field. It is important to “Be the change you want to see in the world." -Gandhi

Hello! My name is Alanise (Aj) (They/Them) and I attend New Britain High School. I have been a part of the Youth Leadership Council for about two years. My favorite parts of this group have been going to CADCA and MCing some of our events. I love volunteering at events, like the annual Senior Citizen prom. I joined because I want to make a change in our community and educate youth about substance use. When I’m not taking part in the YLC, I dance at the YWCA School of Dance. I’ve been dancing for 12 years and I’m also on their competition team. I’m a Cane*ette in the New Britain Marching Band. I’m a part of Madrigals and Show Choir as well. In the future, I want to go to college to either be a lawyer or study education. A quote I live by is "If you can’t love yourself, how are you gonna love somebody else?" - RuPaul

Hello! My name is Daniel (He/Him) and I attend New Britain High School. I have been a part of the YLC For 5 years now! I joined Youth Leadership in order to be an example for my peers, most importantly, my peers who smoke or partake in risky substances and don’t understand the negative effects of using before the legal age. I enjoy playing piano, performing on stage in our school’s musical, playing varsity and club volleyball, and hanging out with my amazing friends (I also love pizza!). In the future, I hope to attend college in Boston and become a music therapist or enter the field of social work. “At the end of the day the decisions we make at a young age can affect us for the rest of our lives so try to make the right one and always be kind!”