Marysville Pilchuck High School students talk with Snohomish County council members Jared Mead and Nate Nate Nehring during a Civic Engagement Day event hosted at the county campus on Thursday, in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Marysville Pilchuck High School students talk with Snohomish County council members Jared Mead and Nate Nate Nehring during a Civic Engagement Day event hosted at the county campus on Thursday, in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Students meet ‘actual people’ behind Snohomish County government

Democrat Jared Mead and Republican Nate Nehring invited about 150 students to the county campus, to put a face to local government.

EVERETT — A bipartisan team of County Council members gave local high school students a glimpse into the inner workings of the Snohomish County government this week.

Democrat Jared Mead, 31, and Republican Nate Nehring, 27, who both serve on the Snohomish County Council, have been traveling to local schools for the past few years to talk about the role of government. This year, however, they decided to make the experience a bit more hands-on.

About 150 students from 13 different schools came to the county campus for the first “Civic Engagement Day.” Gathered in the courthouse and county administrative building, students heard from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, the Office of Public Defense, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Public Works and the County Council. They also got to hang out with the K-9 unit.

Andrew Powell, a senior at Henry M. Jackson High School in Mill Creek, said he felt like the experience provided a personal aspect that made government easier to connect with.

“In AP Government, we talk a lot about the president and Congress,” Powell said. “But looking at these more intricate parts of our community where there are government positions is really unique. You see that these are actual people, and they have a lot of difficult choices to make.”

County Council Chair Mead and Vice Chair Nehring make the youngest council leadership team in decades. The duo said it was refreshing to hear from students.

“They have totally different perspectives on life — on different policies — than we do as adults with kids,” Mead said. “We pay property taxes and all the different things that make us adults, versus students who aren’t weighed down by some of the things that maybe weigh us down. Students are kind of unshackled in that way. They have creative ideas coming out of left and right field.”

Mead and Nehring posed the students with real-life dilemmas that the County Council has faced in meetings: Last fall, the county purchased two hotels to turn into low-barrier shelters for those facing homelessness; they have also been asked respond to complaints about noisy roosters in neighborhoods.

“How do we decide who gets the spots in the shelters,” Nehring asked. “What would you do about the roosters waking citizens up at 3, 4 a.m. in the morning?”

Students chatted in groups, brainstorming ideas — some compassionate and creative, others off-the-wall and borderline illegal. All ideas were heard.

Groups rotated, and members from the prosecutor’s office shared their personal journeys from high school to the courtroom, offering suggestions about law schools and how to identify passions and motivations. Surface Water Management explained their role in the community. Park rangers answered questions about their day-to-day.

Senior Bishop Drewery said she plans to pursue a career as an attorney and is grateful for the first-hand experience and window into local government Wednesday provided.

“It’s the kind of thing you see in books and movies, but you never really imagine it actually happening,” Drewery said.

Mead and Nehring also discussed the importance of bipartisanship, especially as students approach graduation and step out into the world.

“Going through life, people all of a sudden get polarized in groups — left or right — but students aren’t there yet,” Mead said. “When you’re in school, the whole idea is to just learn, think, expand, challenge things, be wrong, be right, and test theories. And that’s what you’re seeing them do.”

Looking forward, Mead and Nehring hope Civic Engagement Day becomes an annual event. The students said they hope so, too.

Kayla J. Dunn: 425-339-3449; kayla.dunn@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @KaylaJ_Dunn.

Talk to us

More in Local News

Cars move across Edgewater Bridge toward Everett on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, in Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edgewater Bridge redo linking Everett, Mukilteo delayed until mid-2024

The project, now with an estimated cost of $27 million, will detour West Mukilteo Boulevard foot and car traffic for a year.

Lynn Deeken, the Dean of Arts, Learning Resources & Pathways at EvCC, addresses a large gathering during the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Cascade Learning Center on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, at Everett Community College in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
New EvCC learning resource center opens to students, public

Planners of the Everett Community College building hope it will encourage students to use on-campus tutoring resources.

Everett Police Chief Dan Templeman announces his retirement after 31 years of service at the Everett City Council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett police chief to retire at the end of October

Chief Dan Templeman announced his retirement at Wednesday’s City Council meeting. He has been chief for nine years.

Boeing employees watch the KC-46 Pegasus delivery event  from the air stairs at Boeing on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019 in Everett, Wa. (Andy Bronson / The Herald)
Boeing’s iconic Everett factory tour to resume in October

After a three-year hiatus, tours of the Boeing Company’s enormous jet assembly plant are back at Paine Field.

A memorial for a 15-year-old shot and killed last week is set up at a bus stop along Harrison Road on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Teen boy identified in fatal shooting at Everett bus stop

Bryan Tamayo-Franco, 15, was shot at a Hardeson Road bus stop earlier this month. Police arrested two suspects.

Lynnwood
Fatal 2-car crash closes Highway 99 in Lynnwood

Police closed off Highway 99 between 188th Street SW and 196th Street SW while they investigated.

Mike Bredstrand, who is trying to get back his job with Lake Stevens Public Works, stands in front of the department’s building on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, in Lake Stevens, Washington. Bredstrand believes his firing in July was an unwarranted act of revenge by the city. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Lake Stevens worker was fired after getting court order against boss

The city has reportedly spent nearly $60,000 on attorney and arbitration fees related to Mike Bredstrand, who wants his job back.

Chap Grubb, founder and CEO of second-hand outdoor gear store Rerouted, stands inside his new storefront on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Gold Bar, Washington. Rerouted began as an entirely online shop that connected buyers and sellers of used gear.  (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Used outdoor gear shop Rerouted finds a niche in Gold Bar

Seeking to keep good outdoor gear out of landfills, an online reselling business has put down roots in Gold Bar.

Naval Station Everett. (Chuck Taylor / Herald file)
Everett man sentenced to 6 years for cyberstalking ex-wife

Christopher Crawford, 42, was found guilty of sending intimate photos of his ex-wife to adult websites and to colleagues in the Navy.

Most Read