Youth Councils in Action
Mazie Countryman balanced college finals with a December that connected regional outreach, holiday service, and STEM opportunities for Native youth. Her activities moved between virtual council conversations, a tribal Christmas project, and an educational gathering in Fort Hall, Idaho.
Countryman, who identifies as Northern Arapaho, Eastern Shoshone, Navajo, and Shoshone-Bannock, served as Northwest Representative in UNITY’s 2023–2024 National UNITY Council Executive Committee cohort. The cohort represents youth perspectives, connects regional councils and individual members, and develops leadership through cooperation and service.
On December 7, she met virtually with Kiis Youth Council from communities around Seattle. She introduced herself, presented information about UNITY, and discussed upcoming events in which the council could participate.
Throughout the month, she also contacted regional youth councils to check in and share information about Midyear and National Conference opportunities. She credited Co-President Jonathan Arakawa with helping provide council contact information and appreciated receiving replies from the groups she reached.
“I am looking forward to seeing Northwest Region Youth come together at upcoming conferences!” she wrote.
Her local service included helping the Fort Hall Fire Fighter program fill 350 stockings on December 13 for a tribal Christmas event. The project involved a concrete contribution to holiday preparation, carried out alongside people serving the same community.
On December 16, she helped present at a STEM night at the Fort Hall Boys and Girls Club. As a college STEM major and member of Idaho State University’s People of Color STEM club, she shared scholarship opportunities with youth interested in similar fields.
The STEM event connected her own educational experience with information other young people could use to explore future study. Her presentation offered a personal link between a community youth setting and opportunities in higher education.
Together, the month’s activities reflect UNITY’s holistic approach to leadership: educational development, social relationships, and service grounded in community needs. Countryman’s report shows a representative doing the follow-through behind that approach—making contact, sharing information, preparing gifts, and helping youth see possibilities for themselves.
