Buckeye Youth Council — Buckeye, AZ
Date: 2025-12-18

CITY OF BUCKEYE

 BUCKEYE YOUTH COUNCIL
 December 17, 2025
 Minutes



Buckeye Valley Museum
Maricopa 85, 116 W MC 85 #116
Buckeye, AZ 85326
5:30pm - 7:00pm

 1. Call to Order/Pledge of Allegiance/Roll Call
Meeting called to order by Scylee Groseth at 5:31 PM.

Attendees

Present = X Name Notes (absent, tardy, excused, unexcused)
 X Alexa Mercado Garay
 Alexis Grimaldi (Absent)
 X Anysia Jones
 Harlow Johnson (Absent)
 X Haylee Mosher
 X Isabelle James
 X Ivy Brown
 X Lamarion Buie (Tardy)
 Lena Erickson (Absent)
 Natalie Eng (Absent)
 X Paisley Brown
 X Raelynn Miller
 X Samuel Russell
 X Savannah Sanchez
 X Scylee Groseth
 2. Approval of Minutes from November 19, 2025

Scylee Groseth motioned to approve the minutes from the November 19, 2025, BYC meeting,
Raelynn Miller seconded. Approved unanimously.

 3. Presentation of Lalique Cervantes from Maricopa County Elections Department

Lalique Cervantes from Maricopa County Elections Department explained how elections work
and highlighted the importance of youth involvement through civic engagement, community
participation, and voting. Graphs were shown to illustrate active voter participation and trends.
The Student Leader Program was introduced as a volunteer opportunity that helps students
build leadership skills and strengthen their resumes from freshman through senior year.
Additionally, the Student Clerk Program was discussed as a paid, one-day opportunity for
students ages 16 and older to gain hands-on experience while supporting elections.

 4. Presentation of Buckeye Youth Council Alumni

Maleyah Davis gave a presentation about project management and teamwork. She explained
that teams should create contracts or agreements to set deadlines, establish communication
expectations, and schedule meetings. Participants are encouraged to maintain worklogs or
notebooks to track both individual and team contributions, record action items, and compare
progress with others. She also discussed drafting schedules by breaking projects into
manageable tasks, assigning roles based on individual strengths, and recognizing that not all
tasks are equal. Additionally, she emphasized knowing the intended audience, ensuring projects
are accessible, identifying the knowledge needed, and seeking support outside the team when
necessary.

Sergeant Van Den Akker gave a presentation in which he shared his favorite Buckeye Youth
Council moment, reflecting on the growth and challenges the council faced. He explained how
these experiences helped members develop important skills such as teamwork, leadership,
communication, and problem-solving. Van Den Akker emphasized how the skills learned
through BYC translate directly to real-world situations, including careers, higher education, and
everyday life. He also highlighted the lasting impact of overcoming obstacles, showing how the
lessons from BYC prepare members to face challenges with resilience and confidence
throughout their lives.


 5. Presentation from Chris Larson from Buckeye Valley Museum
Chris Larson from the Buckeye Valley Museum gave a presentation on the history of Buckeye,
highlighting the strength of volunteers and how the community comes together to create a
lasting impact. She shared the role of tour guides in preserving and presenting history,
discussed the museum’s origins in 1954, and explained how fundraising efforts support its
mission and ongoing projects.

 6. Team-Building Activity
The team-building activity included a scavenger hunt at the Buckeye Valley Museum that
highlighted the history of Buckeye. Participants practiced skills such as teamwork,
communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking while exploring the museum. The activity
encouraged collaboration, helped participants learn to work efficiently in groups, and motivated
them to return for future visits to continue engaging with local history.


 7. Meet in Committee Groups

Civic engagement: The team brainstormed ideas, including setting up collection boxes at local
schools and organizations to reach a wider audience. They also discussed creating a QR code
to allow people to donate online, combining outreach with technology to make participation
easier and more accessible.

Community Outreach: The team worked together by creating booth ideas for the Spring
Celebration. They collaborated to design engaging and fun booths that would attract attendees
while spreading the word about the Buckeye Youth Council, practicing creativity, teamwork, and
communication skills throughout the process.

 8. Upcoming Volunteer Events
Alexa Mercado Garay shared the volunteer opportunity tracking sheet with the Youth Council
and discussed upcoming events.

 9. Comments from the Buckeye Youth Councilmembers

There being no further business to discuss, Scylee Groseth adjourned the meeting at 7:23 PM.




 ____________________________
 Scylee Groseth, Co-Chair




ATTEST:

___________________________
 Alexa Mercado Garay, Secretary
I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the Buckeye Youth
Council Meeting held on December 17, 2025. I further certify that a quorum was present.




___________________________
 Alexa Mercado Garay, Secretary