Achsah Dawson, a senior at Maple Grove Senior High School, was recently appointed to Governor Walz’s Young Women’s Cabinet. The cabinet is a partnership between the Governor’s Office and the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota to achieve equity in opportunities and improve the lives of young Black and Indigenous women, women of color, and gender-expansive people. The cabinet is composed of 32 young leaders from across the state.
“Serving on the Young Women’s Cabinet is a unique opportunity to make an impact on the lives of current and future Minnesotans,” said Governor Walz. “I am grateful for this diverse group of leaders and excited to see them pave the way for the next generation of Minnesotans to thrive.”
The Young Women’s Cabinet is guided by the leadership of the young women and ensures that the initiative’s efforts stay grounded in the lived experiences of each communities’ young women and youth and the community-specific challenges and solutions they have identified. Cabinet members are able to provide feedback and ideas on policy and current events.
“It seemed like a really good leadership opportunity to work with people higher up in the government and to learn about policy making and ways to actually make changes within our system,” Dawson said. “I think people my age have a more radical view on how things are in this world, and I think having our voices heard helps a lot.”
Besides participating in the Governor's Young Women’s Cabinet, Dawson is enjoying playing on the MGSH girl’s basketball team this season after suffering two torn ACLs in previous years. Additionally, Dawson, along with a friend, started the Black Student Union at MGSH this year, which is for community building with black students. The group is currently getting ready for Black History Month, which takes place each February.
“We felt like some of the younger students could use leaders, so instead of always talking about social justice issues we also focus on having fun, meeting new people and building a community.” Dawson said.
For more information on the Young Women’s Cabinet, visit the Governor’s website.