WOODS CROSS—Ashley Westergard has been in the WX youth city council (WXYCC) since the ninth grade and has loved every minute of it. The newly sworn in youth mayor has big plans for the coming year and it’s all centered around helping the community.

“I was a leader ambassador and had the opportunity of getting to know everyone,” she said. “I called it a ‘friending activity.’ As mayor I get to be over activities which I’m excited about, I love them the most because they're so fun.”

Ashley got interested in the YCC when she was little. “As kids we went to parades and I saw the YCC helping and I thought it looked so fun.”

Her dad is Wood Cross Mayor Ryan Westergard, but youth council advisor Sharon Peters said that is not why she was chosen. “She’s amazing. She’s a friend to everybody and takes leadership very seriously. She’s great.”

The leadership is selected by application and interviews with the city council, said Peters. “A new mayor is selected each year, usually their senior year. The assistant mayor is in their junior year. They might be the mayor the next year if they apply and fit the requirements.”

Other positions include a treasurer, photographer, social media and music person, service coordinator and ambassador, she said. “We have a total of 46 kids. The mayor (Ryan) wants to make sure youth have somewhere to go and if this is where, he wants to let everybody on.”

The YCC’s mission is to serve, to respect, to promote community pride, to gain a sense of personal achievement and to develop an understanding of city government, said Peters. “The whole council meets with the city council and the mayor then just the mayor and assistant mayor meets with them and attends city council meetings in an effort to learn the government side of it.”

There are set activities every year the YCC takes part in, said Peters. “They help with Memorial Day, Easter and pumpkins in the park, the vets dinner and other things. They can choose what they want to do for service and give input on how they’re going to follow through.”

Ashley speaks French and is taking art and ceramics classes in high school. She also works as a receptionist at the Legacy House Assisted Living Center in Bountiful. After high school she plans to apply to Utah State and BYU. “I’m going to go for two semesters then go on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” she said. “When I get back I’ll finish my degree. I might be premed. I’m taking a medical anatomy and physiology class and I like that sort of thing so I want to do it as a career.”

In the meantime, Ashley is excited for the coming year with the YCC. “I look forward to other people joining,” she said. “Some new faces who can learn and grow, find out how to talk to people and get involved in the community to care about what we do in our city.” λ