PELHAM – A new crop of leaders sat in the Council Chambers at Pelham City Hall on Monday, May 7, for Youth Government Day.

The seats in the Council Chambers were packed full of proud parents waiting to watch their children participate in Youth Government Day.

After the regular City Council meeting on May 7, Pelham Park Middle School sixth grade students conducted their own council meeting that consisted of updates about each city department and resolutions created and passed by the student City Council.

Each city leader had a student counterpart that shadowed them all morning to learn the essential roles in city government, while the rest of the sixth-grade class went on tours of various city buildings.

Select sixth graders were given the opportunity to shadow leaders such as Pelham City School Superintendent Scott Coefield, Mayor Gary Waters, City Council members and city manager Gretchen DiFante.

“Every single year that we come together for Youth Government Day I am amazed,” said City Council President Rick Hayes. “We learn something new every time. It’s an opportunity for us to get an unfiltered opinion from the students.”

Valerie Jamison acted as mayor, Baylee Bradley was city manager, Joliegh Holmes was a councilmember, Chase Irwin was a councilmember, Anna Mann was a councilmember, Molly Seales was a councilmember, Preston Hopper was a council member and Morgan Lankford was the city clerk.