Last few years have been quite a journey
In today’s column, I wanted to share why I became a youth leader and why young people should be youth leaders and raise their voice on issues which affect them.
As a high school pupil at Perth Grammar School, I was not the most popular kid and was picked on by someone who was younger than me.
This gave me no selfconfidence and actually made me walk around town with my head down and looking at the ground when I passed people I knew.
I then got involved with a youth information drop-in centre in Perth which helped me talk to my peers.
Working with the drop-in centre offered me many opportunities like going on a seven day expedition on a boat round the west coast of Scotland with Tall Ships Youth Trust alongside 12 other young people from Perth and Kinross.
I got involved with the Perth and Kinross Youth Council which then opened up the opportunity to become an elected Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for Perthshire North.
Little did I know that four years later I would still be the MSYP but for the constituency of Perthshire South and Kinross-shire.
After trying to seek re-election last year.
I was not successful and for a few weeks I felt like there was nothing for me to do as a normal young person.
I did go through a period of thoughts where I was blaming myself for the loss of the election but as they say: “When one door closes, another one opens”.
Enter the YLUK Programme with the US Embassy. Using this as a motivator has made me look at issues not just affecting young people in the UK but in the United States as well.
I look forward to engaging with other YLUK Members and tackling the big issues.
I am also working on a project called #AIMBIG which is to inspire future youth leaders.
I have the pleasure in working with inspiring young people like John White of the John White Little Star Foundation and John Loughton of Dare2Lead and hope to continue to work on inspiring others.
I feel that young people who are passionate about their community and about changing things within their community should become youth leaders, whether by joining a political party to becoming a MSYP or holding public office.
My advice is do what you believe in and anything is possible when you put your mind to it.
I would like to hear your thoughts on youth leadership and would like to hear what your ideas are.
Please Tweet me @ Kennedy_YLUK.
I can also be contacted via email at Dillonkennedy00@ gmail.com
Dillon Kennedy reckons young people should reach for the stars. Pic by Dimitrios Lachanis, https:// dimitriosphotography.com/