Celebrating CYV Alumni
Brady Sternberg, 2024 YIG Youth Governor was awarded the 2024 National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) John Lewis Youth Leadership Award for his civic engagement work. Secretary Simon will present the award to Brady at EHS (in the TV Studio) at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 23.
The John Lewis Youth Leadership Award was established in 2021 by the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) to honor the extraordinary accomplishments of Congressman John Lewis. The award gives NASS members the opportunity to recognize a gifted, civic-minded young person in their state each year. The recipient should demonstrate leadership abilities, have a passion for social justice, and be motivated to improve the quality of life in their community.
More about Brady-
Brady Sternberg, a freshman at American University, hails from Eagan, Minnesota, where he made a big impression as committed and enthusiastic supporter of civic engagement, for himself and for others. Local adult and student media sources referred to Brady as a, “Pioneer of Accessibility” and “A Firecracker That Cares.”
Brady has set a path for himself that highlights service. He has served the community as a member of a nonprofit board for The Drawer, which provides clean socks and underwear to the homeless and needy, and long before he was old enough to cast a ballot as a student election judge for four elections. He has served the political process through volunteering to canvas for a local candidate, and Brady was hired to canvas for his political party this past summer.
Brady was intrigued by the work of the three branches of government and joined the YMCA’s Youth in Government program in 8th grade. He became more and more deeply involved, gaining responsibility and experience as the leader of his school delegation where he developed a scholarship to make the program affordable to more students, and eventually being elected statewide youth governor by the more than 1200 delegates. Again, on his path to deepen his understanding and to serve, he because a delegate to the Conference on National Affairs, where he was elected a presiding officer. Brady also went on to the YMCA of the USA’s National Youth Advisory Council.
Of Brady, one teacher said, “Brady is an active leader in our community. He’s always doing something around school, leading food and clothing drives, starting charity events, and organizing school fundraisers. His optimism and boundless courage make it easy to ask something of him; if you have an idea or a plan for the school, he is quick to say yes to helping you and dives right in…yet he still manages to keep good grades, maintain a wide circle of friends, and engage in the school-wide charity work I mentioned earlier. He’s a firecracker that cares about making a difference in our community.”