The Douglas Mayor’s Youth Council (DMYC) began its new year with its first meeting on Thursday, August 20, 2020. The main topic of the meeting was entrepreneurship and several local entrepreneurs, Dr. Tracey McClelland, Mazi, and Amy Luciani, shared their stories of overcoming hardships to achieve their goals and becoming business owners.
The first order of business on the agenda was to adopt an Anti-Bullying and Suicide Prevention Campaign and approve the request of the City of Douglas to apply for a grant against bullying and teen suicide. The Community Development Department Grants Administrator, Christian Mikell, explained the process for applying and the amount of the funding that the Youth Council could receive from the grant. After hearing from Youth Council Coordinator Dinitra Williams, and Ms. Mikell, the Youth Council unanimously voted to adopt an Anti-Bullying and Suicide Prevention Campaign and to allow the City of Douglas to apply for the Youth Anti-Bullying and Suicide Prevention Grant on their behalf.
Ms. Amelia Crockett, Jr. Mayor, was chosen as an outstanding youth member for the month by her peers. Amelia is the daughter of Willis and Vernica Crockett. She is a junior at Coffee High School and a freshman at South Georgia State College participating in the Dual Enrollment Program. Amelia serves as the Public Affairs Asst. Officer and on the Drill Team with NJROTC. She is also an active member of Coffee County 4-H and the Sign Language Association. In addition to serving as the Jr. Mayor with DMYC, she also serves as the defense attorney with Douglas Coffee County Teen Court program. After graduation, Amelia plans to attend the University of Georgia to become an attorney. For the month of August, the Youth Council, chose to spotlight Mrs. Charlotte James, a local entrepreneur, who has owned and operated Charlotte’s Unisex Salon, for 37 years in Douglas.
An update from the Ambitious Young Men (A.Y.M.) and First Love Yourself (F.L.Y.) Girls was provided to the Youth Council. These two programs work to empower and motivate young men and young women to achieve success in life. AYM is working on organizing their first webinar “Proper Planning Equipment”, to feature various speakers about Life Skills for young men. FLY Girls have organized a “closet store” for young ladies at the George Washington Carver Freshman Campus. The closet is in need of the following items: black or brown belts, khaki pants, white collared shirts, leggings, and black or white tank shirts. Another project the FLY Girls are currently working on is the RAK (Random Acts of Kindness) project, that was presented to them by Principal Abe Morris. It is a pen pal project which consists of 20 students at Satilla Elementary School. Items needed for this project include: pencils, erasers, markers, stickers, colored pencils, etc. To make donations to either of these projects, please call Ms. Pat McAllister or Mrs. Amber Walker at the Freshman Campus.
The Youth Council meeting consisted of three guest speakers about entrepreneurship. Dr. Tracy McClelland shared her story of how she became the successful business owner of YCarte’ Health Career Center. Ycarte’ provides opportunities for those interested in the health field. It provides health education and motivation for others to achieve goals and certifications in the health profession through several training programs. By becoming a successful business owner, other opportunities have opened for Dr. McClelland. Entrepreneurs Mazi and Amy Luciani presented their story of how pushing through hardships can lead to successful business ownership. Famous for “The Amy and Mazi Show” on YouTube, Mazi and Amy are working together on several projects including their brand BLKLV. apparel, entertainment, brand ambassadors, and opening their first BLKLV. store in Atlanta. All speakers encouraged the Youth Council to be prepared for opportunities by setting goals, remaining optimistic, always persevere, and give back to their community.
The Douglas Mayor’s Youth Council fosters leadership skills and allows students to be an advisory council to the Mayor and Commission. The DMYC wants to hear from citizens about youth in our community that are doing exceptional things with their lives. To submit a youth or youth group to be recognized, please contact Dinitra Williams, Douglas Mayor’s Youth Council Coordinator, at dwilliams@cityofdouglas.com or call the City Clerk’s office at (912) 389-3405.