HY Class of 2023: Colin Yuen

Central Park resident Colin Yuen is graduating from Issaquah High School this spring! He has spent the last two years on the Highlands Youth (HY) Advisory Board. After graduation, he plans on attending University of Washington – Bothell to pursue a degree in business administration!

Here are some of Colin’s biggest takeaways from the last two years on the HY Board:

What did you learn from your experience on the HY Board?

While there are so many different things that I have learned, I think the most important thing was learning how many unique perspectives and ideas fellow board members had. Even though we all come from different places, backgrounds and age groups, it was really cool to see how all of the ideas we had were united by a similar bond of creating fun events for the community. I also learned a lot about what it takes to be a leader and plan for all possibilities during the events we hold so that we are prepared for anything!

What did you enjoy?

To be frank, some of the most enjoyable moments during my time on the board were seeing the smiles of both our attendees and my peers on the board. I have seen so much growth in all of us throughout the year, and it has been really cool to see the others take charge during our events, and do their best to work things out with each other. In the future, I hope I get to be a part of a similar group where we can just relax with each other, and get to learn more about one another than just what we do within the group.

Knowing what you know now, if you were just joining the HY Board, would you do anything differently?

I think the most important thing is to just speak up whenever you get the chance. The most important (and fun) aspect of being on the board is a willingness to frequently share your ideas in a collaborative and welcoming space, and if you don’t take the chance to speak up when you can, you’re missing out on a large aspect of the experience. If I could go back in time, I would certainly tell myself to get out there more and to make my voice heard by my peers.

What is your legacy contribution to the HY Board?

As one of the co-presidents on the board this year, I hope I have been able to leave behind a legacy of humor and flexibility. While there were many times when our events didn’t go as planned, I always liked to refer back to those times with laughter and reflection. As my fellow board members continue to plan events in the future, I hope they remember not to take these moments too seriously, and remember that while not everything goes the right way all the time, what matters the most is that we can all laugh about it together later on and learn more tips for the next one.

What is your message to the remaining HY Board members? 

Just laugh and have fun during the rest of your time on the board! While things can get serious during the process of planning events, sometimes goofing off a little bit and having a good time can strengthen the bond with your peers and even help with creating better ideas and events!

What are your hopes for the future of the HY Board and its impact on neighborhood peers?

I hope that the HY Board further expands its reach to teens in the community, and provide opportunities for those who are not on the board to get further involved with the community. Before I was on the board, I wasn’t sure how to get involved, so I hope that the board can help people who were in a similar situation to me by giving them different ways to take part in the events that we plan!

Did making new friends through HY improve your high school experience?

Definitely! Some of my favorite moments have literally just been sitting down and talking with my peers about a wide range of random topics, from talking about our classes to having a heated debate on which book series was the best. While a large part of being on the board is the event-planning aspect, it’s important to remember that we’re all students who have our own unique passions and hobbies, and being able to learn more about each other this way has been some of the most fun I have had during high school.

Do you feel better prepared for your next life chapter/the college experience because of your HY experience?

I definitely feel much more prepared for the future. I have been able to feel the jubilation of working on an event and seeing it do much better than expected while looking at all of the attendees having a great time. I have also felt the confusion of trying to figure out want went wrong when one of the events we planned didn’t go quite like we expected. Both of these feelings basically sum up life in general; while things may not always go the way you wanted, remember that there will also be times when things will go fantastically! I am so happy that I have been able to laugh and debate with my peers as much as I have, and I will remember the triumphs and struggles we faced then and take them with me as I prepare to face my own in the future!

Colin is a senior at Issaquah High School and a Central Park resident.