Illinois Valley Times

Veteran Illinois State Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) showed herself as all smiles after convening her annual Youth Advisory Council of area high school students.

“This is the fourth year that I have hosted a Youth Advisory Council,” Rezin told the Illinois Valley Times. “With the ongoing pandemic, we had to do it a little differently this year. This yearly event is one of my favorite experiences, so I am very pleased that we were able to come up with a way to provide this opportunity to our students.”

Conducted virtually due to the lingering coronavirus, the event included dozens of students from Rezin’s 38th District, all interested in learning more about the inner-workings of state government and public policy. 

Illinois State Capitol | File Photo

The event included students from Gardner-South Wilmington High School, Putnam County High School, Wilmington High School, Newark High School, Coal City High School, Streator High School, Plano High School, LaSalle-Peru Township High School, Saint Bede Academy, Ottawa Township High School and Morris Community High School, with all of them being selected based on recommendations made by area administrators and local educators.

Rezin’s list of guest speakers included Cody Grandadam, owner and president of Promier Products and Amanda Vinicky, correspondent and Segment Host with WTTW. 

In past years, Rezin would also bring the students to the Statehouse in Springfield, where students would also have the chance to tour the Capitol and watch state government in action as legislators went about the business of making policy.

Serving as the face of the 38th District since 2010, Rezin sits on the House’s Education; Energy and Public Utilities (Minority Spokesperson); Executive; Revenue (Minority Spokesperson); Subcommittee on Special Issues (EX) and Interscholastic Athletics; Pensions committees.