Notes From My First Week As Youth Ambassador

Being named Young Manteca City Ambassador felt exciting for about ten minutes. Then the calendar hit me. My first week was a blur of introductions, listening sessions, and questions I did not always have answers to.

The biggest lesson was to listen twice as long as I spoke. Adults in the room already had strong opinions. My job was to translate what my peers actually cared about into language that could travel across those tables.

I left the week with a small notebook full of first actions, not big promises. Small actions ship. Big promises rust.