Cabarrus County Youth Commission seeks student leaders
Published on June 19, 2026
In Cabarrus, leadership starts in the classrooms and hallways of local schools.The Cabarrus County Youth Commission gives those students a nurturing environment to listen, speak up and lead with purpose.
The Youth Commission is an officially chartered club through Cabarrus County 4-H and provides students with hands-on opportunities to develop leadership skills while making a meaningful impact in their community.
Guided by the 4-H motto "Learn by Doing," members turn ideas into action through projects and initiatives that address issues impacting local youth.
The 22-member advisory group, which is forming now for the upcoming school year, is designed to engage high school students in local government and civic leadership. Members serve as youth advisors to County leadership, explore community issues and participate in collaborative initiatives designed to strengthen leadership, communication and civic awareness skills.
Each traditional county high school is represented by two students. Four at-large members represent homeschools and other non-traditional settings. Together, they reflect a broad cross-section of student experiences.
Members serve a two-year term and meet regularly throughout the school year, working alongside County staff and leadership to learn how local government operates and how it responds to real community needs.
To remain in good standing, members must attend at least 75% of scheduled meetings.
The commission has been a transformative experience for Kavya Saxena, a rising senior at Hickory Ridge High School. Kavya serves as president of the group.
"The Youth Commission has really developed me, not just as a person, but as a leader because it’s exposed me to real decisions that are made within our local government," she said. “It inspired me to want to major in political science and global liberal studies, which explores different governments in foreign countries.”
Kavya also gained a mentor in Board of Commissioners Chair Laura Lindsey, who serves as the liaison to the Youth Commission. Through Lindsey, Kavya has attended other board and council meetings around the county connected with local and state government leaders.
“I have really enjoyed getting to know Kavya and all the students on the Youth Commission this year,” Lindsey said. “They worked so hard on their Passion Project of bringing real-world financial experience into a workshop for other high school students.”
That Passion Project is a yearly group project focused on issues young people face in Cabarrus.. In addition to tackling financial know-how for teens, projects have addressed mental health, food and nutrition and career readiness.
Kavya said the group work showcases one of the Youth Commission’s biggest strengths: collaboration.
"It’s interesting working with students with different perspectives and different backgrounds and being able to listen to their ideas and input yours as well," she said. "Having that multidimensional fuel to this organization really helped us develop our ideas for Passion Projects. Whether we agree with each other or not, we always find a way to work around it.”
Who can apply
Applications are now open for the upcoming school year.
Students interested in serving on the Youth Commission must:
- Be a Cabarrus County resident
- Be enrolled in high school (public, private, charter, homeschool or non-traditional program)
- Complete an application and participate in an in-person interview on August 17, 2026
- Commit to attending at least 75% of monthly meetings
- Serve a two-year term if selected
To apply, visit https://forms.cabarruscounty.us/Forms/Youth-Commission-Application and complete the form. For more information, contact Molly Murray at 704-920-3318 or mekleman@cabarruscounty.us