Since the age of 12, Ryan Washington knew that he wanted to help those around him and be a voice for people in his community. Ryan started his work through the Boys & Girls Club, becoming an active member in ‘Keystone’, a pro...
Since the age of 12, Ryan Washington knew that he wanted to help those around him and be a voice for people in his community. Ryan started his work through the Boys & Girls Club, becoming an active member in ‘Keystone’, a program aimed at emphasizing the views of teens.
Ryan saw many problems in the community centering on public safety, education, and employment, which inspired him to take his ideas to the city government. Ryan joined the DC Youth Advisory Council and eventually went on to be Chairman, working with the Mayor and other city officials to directly combat the problems he brought awareness to.
The victory and work of President Obama sparked Ryan’s interest even further, encouraging him to take an extra step towards becoming an impactful youth advocate. Ryan currently serves as the 54th Youth Mayor of the District of Columbia. He was elected by youth who reside in DC to serve as the 54th Youth Mayor of the District of Columbia. As Youth Mayor, Ryan represents 36,000 young people and is the only ‘Youth Mayor’ in the country. He has since then worked with the Mayor to implement many laws, including DC’s first ‘Anti-Bullying’ legislation.
Since becoming Youth Mayor, Ryan has deepened his commitment to politics and civic engagement, being awarded ‘Youth of the Year’ for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, as well as being appointed as a United States Senate Page by Senator Harry Reid. Ryan has said he would like to go into either politics or law when he gets older.
Photo: Facebook