Member of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group Daisy Ford has been reflecting this month on the changes in life. Read on to find out her thoughts on it.

This month has felt like the real beginning of college. It’s been amazing to have so many new experiences, opportunities and to meet so many great new people.

On the 16th of November I was able to attend a model United Nations conference at Queens College and I think I’ve found something I genuinely love. Not only did it give me time to improve my knowledge of current affairs and ability to speak publicly with confidence, it was also such a great chance to get to know other people from my college better and meet students from across the South West.

It made me think about how many doors open post-secondary school. As someone who often felt anxious about leaving somewhere I had been for five years of my life, where I made some of the best friends. So many young people also feel this way, or might lack the confidence to try something new, but a new beginning whether it’s a new school or the upcoming year is a great opportunity to challenge yourself.

Leaving school and moving on to sixth form, college or an apprenticeship is a huge step and I think it would be stranger to be completely fine with it than it is to have some misgivings.

While I’m sure everyone is looking forward to having a hard-earned break this Christmas, I hope everyone has also had a great year so far, and for everyone who has made a big change in the past couple of months I hope you’re feeling optimistic.

It can be hard this time of year when everything is cold and dark, but I would truly encourage everyone to try something new, because you never know when you might find something that you feel passionate about and will help you find community, which is important for everyone but especially for young people who maybe feel slightly disconnected or unsure of themselves.

Daisy Ford

Did you know that Somerset Youth Parliament isn’t just it’s elected members? Any young person in Somerset aged 10-25 years can become a member of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group.

For more information about becoming a member of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group and to join, visit our Join Us page.