Paterson Youth Interview Lt. Governor Tahesha Way on Our Podcast

Watch this Podcast episode on YouTube.

Last spring, NJCDC opened the doors to a podcast studio as part of the expansion of our Great Falls Youth Center, with the goal of amplifying the voices of Paterson youth. The Loft, as it's called, has recently found its stride and has been launching new episodes on a weekly basis since early this summer. On October 31, The Loft welcomed a distinguished guest — New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way.

This episode gave three John F. Kennedy High School students and Great Falls Youth Center participants — Kayla Wimberly, Imahni Myers, and Elianny Polanco — a unique opportunity to represent Paterson’s youth and learn more about Lt. Governor Way’s inspiring journey, the importance of voting, and the value of civic engagement.

The students asked about Lt. Governor Way’s extensive history in government and her path to her current role. In response, she reflected on a formative experience during her junior year at Brown University, where she survived a life-threatening medical condition. During her recovery, the care she received from nurses and doctors solidified her desire to do the same for others and, in her words, “make other’s situations whole.” She shared insights into her experience in government, including her service as a County Commissioner in Passaic County, a state Administrative Law Judge, and New Jersey’s 34th Secretary of State — eventually leading to her current role as second in command of state government.

The Lieutenant Governor then gave her perspective on the current state of politics, the importance of civic involvement, and the struggles that are facing our youth today. Regarding civic involvement, she emphasized that, “We all have to contribute and give back to our communities regardless of what profession we have. You don’t have to be elected or appointed governmentally to have a certain impact [on] someone or to some corner of your life.” One way she suggested increasing civic involvement is by educating residents about the government and how voting works within their state.

This discussion wouldn’t have been possible without Danny Gonzalez Jr., the producer of the podcast who oversees everything from designing the studio to curating guests for each episode—all part of his duties as part of the youth center staff. Reflecting on the podcast and this particular episode, he said, “NJCDC's The Loft is a podcast that explores the programming and opportunities NJCDC offers and provides our youth program participants a platform to talk about their needs and interests. In this episode, they discussed Lt. Gov. Way's background and voting and civic engagement as a whole. This experience has truly empowered our students, showing them that their voices matter and that they have the ability to influence the forces that govern them. This is a promising sign that our future will be secure in the hands of the next generation."

For more engaging discussions such as this one, listeners can find weekly episodes of The Loft on all major streamingplatforms, and those interested in a video format can watch on YouTube.  This particular podcast with Lt. Governor Way can be seen here: