Western Colorado Alliance is proud to announce Mila Stephan and Charlotte Allen have been chosen as our Alliance’s 2024 summer interns.

Every year, our Alliance chooses a couple of students from West Slope Youth Voice (WSYV), our Alliance’s non-partisan student group. The role of the head interns is to support their fellow interns in organizing the summer program and preparing for the upcoming legislative session. This includes creating the youth issue report, setting up meetings with elected officials, and presenting student survey finds to local elected boards. This is an opportunity for a young adult to learn some of the “ins and outs” of what it takes to be an organizer.

Both Mila and Charlotte are no strangers to the summer intern positions, as this is their second year each as our Alliance’s interns.

For Charlotte, who is a graduating senior at Palisade High School, the appointment marks her final months with West Slope Youth Voice. “I’m excited to finish my time with WSYV strong working off of what Mila and I built last year to continue to grow the program and keep our local influence alive.”

Mia, as a junior at Palisade, hopes to continue with our Alliance’s non-partisan student group throughout the next year. “I hope to further this goal so that every student feels seen and heard. As a group, I am immensely proud of the work we have managed to do in my time as a head intern, from advocating for a Student Based Health Center in Grand Junction High School to testifying for bills in Committee at the State level. I believe that every action our group takes leads us closer and closer to ensuring that the Grand Valley is a safe, inclusive place for our students.”

When Mila isn’t in school or working with West Slope Youth Voice, she may be found competing as part of her school’s Speech and Debate team, and working as part of the National Honors Society and International Baccalaureate (IB).

Charlotte has also started testing with the IB program, and also has enjoyed working at Palisade High School’s fish hatchery to raise endangered razorback suckerfish.

Both students see their experience with West Slope Youth Voice as being very important in preparing them for future life. “This program has offered me one of the most unique experiences that I continue to be grateful for. Learning how our political system works and how to be involved from a young age has been really beneficial for me,” Charlotte says. “As a senior, I only have a few months left in the program, so I plan to make the most out of it.”

Mila agrees. “I have been a part of this program for a little over two years now, and I’ve loved to see the way both this program and I have grown in this time. I joined this group because I felt that as a student, and more importantly, as a young person in this community, my voice was not being heard. I wanted to feel as though people cared about my thoughts and opinions, and this program has given me this and more. When I joined, I don’t think I ever expected to have nearly as many opportunities as this program has given me, and I am grateful for whatever future opportunities await us as well.”