Cranford High School Students Earn Top Honors at NJ YMCA Youth & Government Conference

On Sunday, April 26, Cranford High School students attended the 88th annual NJ YMCA Youth and Government conference. Participating students had been working in their respective roles since January, coming together for one of the largest conferences in several years. This three-day event brought together more than 20 delegations, totaling 450 students from all over the state. Students worked both independently and in small groups in the creation of mock legislature through Assemblies and Senates, as well as in Courts, Press, Lobbyists, and the Youth Governor’s Cabinet.

After the Youth & Government (YAG) club at Cranford High School disbanded following the 2024-2025 school year, club president and YAG Legislative Officer Shane Kennedy worked to reconnect returning and newly interested students with the Cranford YMCA and was successful in revitalizing the program.

Conference proceedings are divided between a Pre-Legislative Day and the subsequent conference weekend. Pre-Leg, as it is known, was hosted this year at Westfield High School and provided officers and delegates with an introduction to parliamentary procedure, early feedback on their bills, and an overview of added responsibilities for students who were not legislators.

Shane, alongside fellow delegates Julianna Andreola, Adriana Coakley, Julia Curro, Grace Curtin, Dahlia Yuscavage, Alana Pugliese, Lily Stevens, Abigail Turnamian, Bobby Kelly, and Dishi Musidipalli, gained hands-on experience in political discourse and the legislative process. They students were led by YMCA advisors Marty Collett and Dylan Hirtler, along with volunteer adviser Tya Nangpal. While Shane oversaw and facilitated debate in his respective assembly, the other Cranford delegates individually attended various chambers, continuously debating other delegates’ bills while fiercely promoting their own.

Despite its relatively small size and recent reestablishment, Cranford earned the Outstanding Delegation Award, recognizing the entire team for their high-level performance, thoughtful debate, and compelling legislation. Additionally, within the larger program, numerous individual CHS students were recognized for their contributions.

The bills of Junior Dishi Musidipalli and Freshman Grace Curtin passed through every chamber, eventually reaching and gaining approval from the Governor’s Cabinet. Musidipalli and Curtin were two of approximately twenty delegates who received the Passed Legislation Award. Additionally, first-year student Dahlia Yuscavage received the Outstanding Legislation Award, applauded for a visionary bill idea surrounding health care premiums. Junior Bobby Kelly was elected as Legislative Officer for his senate, representing Cranford on the state level. Bobby was also selected as a delegate for CONA (Conference on National Affairs), a week-long national summer conference for Youth and Government’s top participants from across the country, sponsored by the YMCA and held in North Carolina. Dishi Musidipalli and Shane Kennedy were selected as CONA alternates, an honor that is in itself a notable achievement.

The Cranford YMCA and Westfield Area YMCA congratulate all Youth and Government participants on their many achievements, hard work and dedication. For more information about YMCA Teen programs, contact Dylan Hirtler, Assistant Director of Youth Development and Events at dhirtler@westfieldynj.org or 908-301-9622 x248.