Students Inside Albany

According to the teacher who recommended Delaney Reilly for the program, she  is  a top student in the Marathon Central School District.  She is a member of the National Honor Society, student council, and multiple sports teams and clubs.  He also indicated that  she is an active participant in all her classes and a leader on and off the athletic field. She participates in class discussions and has a tremendous curiosity for learning.  She especially excels in history and government and has an interest in politics and the law. She has been accepted to Utica College and will begin next fall.

In addition to academics, Delaney serves as a student representative on the Marathon School Board. She attends all Board meetings where her opinions are respected. She is also a hard worker and puts in time working in the family business in Marathon.

In her application, Delaney indicated she is eager to use the SIA experience to deepen her understanding of governmental processes, develop stronger civic engagement skills, and bring this knowledge back to her school and community.  She is excited to learn directly from legislators and connect with other motivated students across the state.

Nyla James attends Cortland High School where she is a junior. She is inquisitive about legislative workings and policies and is very eager to learn more about how legislation comes about in the state government. She is also eager to learn how she can better participate in her community and make a difference. She is very passionate about many social issues and would like to gain as much information as she can on how to bring about change. She is eager to meet new, like-minded people who are just as curious and passionate as she is.

She is eager to attend SIA in order to engage with others, to ask questions, to express her opinions, and to discuss those with others. She believes it’s important to be attentive, inquisitive and respectful when engaging in discussions so that all can learn and create a better community.

The social studies teacher who recommended Nyla for the program indicated she has been very impressed with Nyla’s civic awareness and aptitude for learning. She noted that Nyla is incredibly intelligent and thoughtfully engages with content related to history and civics. 

Her participation and insight drive classroom conversations and provokes critical thinking in her classmates.