Five students from West Potomac and Mount Vernon High Schools got a taste of local politics earlier this month.

Through the Delegate Scott Surovell’s (D-Fairfax) Young Leaders Program, students visited the General Assembly in Richmond to learn more about the inner workings of local government.

The program, co-sponsored by Cox Communications, paid for transportation, lodging and meals from January 29^th through February 1^st.  The Young Leaders Program gives qualified juniors and seniors in the Mount Vernon area the opportunity to shadow their local delegate and learn about public service.

To participate in the program, which was originally started by retired Delegate Kris Amundson, about a dozen students filled out an application and submitted a recommendation from one of their teachers.

The student leaders witnessed debate about Surrovell’s amendment to allow localities to repeal state law, Del. David Englin's three amendments to repeal the state's gay marriage ban, and a bill to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, among others. 

"They were lucky to see what they got to see. Normally, they discuss some mundane stuff like permits but the students witnessed a constitutional amendment discussion," Said Delegate Scottt Surovell. "They saw some hot topics, and they were lucky to see that."

West Potomac High School Junior Trevor Jenne, Mount Vernon High School junior Eric Myhre and West Potomac High School senior Max Kosanovich said their experience in the commonwealth's capitol helped them understand local government. Two other participants include Shannon Frydenland and Elizabeth O'Hara.

"I learned how politics works... the experience of politics. Like often times they make statements to the house, even if a bill won't be passed, they get on the record to get the issue more known about," Jenne said.

Both Kosanovich and Myhre said that the one of the most surprising facets of the legislative process was how quickly decisions are made.

"They have almost the same amount of bills to pass as [the US] Congress and they do it in only two months of every year," Myhre said. "They work so quickly... it shows that if you work hard, you can get so much done."

The five students will also complete a survey project together as part of the shadowing program. The students will compose a survey for local teenagers, to gauge their classmates' knowledge of local issues.

"...A lot of them don't really know what the issues are and they don't go out and vote as soon as they can. I think it's important they know what the issues are," Kosanovich said of the survey project.

Myhre agreed and said, "It's going to make a lot of kids more aware in the school, maybe get them to read up on the topics in the community." 

Jane O'Hara, one of the chaperones for the trip as well as an assistant principal at Carl Sandburg Middle School, is overseeing the completion of the project.  

Surovell said that it is important to engage youth in local politics because he says the state government has more of an effect on the lives of teenagers than the federal government. "Everyone of these kids should care about what we do; they should care about college funding, about the high school requirements we pass or about the texting-while-driving laws we made," he said.

Surovell hoped the project would not only encourage youth participation in local politics, but also help him keep abreast on the issues facing his youngest constituents.

"I've been out of high school for a while, so it's easy to forget what young people's perspectives are," he said.

Though the three students interviewed professed that their interest in politics was more of a hobby than a potential career, they said they plan to keep up with local news.

"I don't know that I have the temperament to go into politics... some of the composure they [delegates] keep is ridiculous. But I really enjoy reading about it and learning it," Myhre said.