Quaker Valley High School student sworn in as new Leetsdale junior council member

Leetsdale teen Cambria Roser has a unique opportunity to make a difference in her hometown.

The Quaker Valley High School junior was sworn in by Mayor Sandra Ford as the borough’s newest junior council member on Jan. 9.

It’s a one-year term that provides students a seat at the table and participate in meaningful discussions and projects.

Candidates don’t have to be from Quaker Valley School District. However, they do have to be Leetsdale residents and in their junior or senior year of high school.

Cambria, 16, said she hopes to learn a lot about local government and do some community service.

“It’s so exciting,” Cambria said after the meeting. “I’m excited to get started on different projects and help out in the community. I enjoy coming to meetings and hearing about what’s going on.”

Junior council members cannot vote on borough business or participate in executive sessions, which are closed-door discussions routinely reserved for personnel matters and pending litigation.

Junior council members are encouraged to come up with community projects.

Last school year’s junior council members were junior Reagan Fowler and senior Ryan James, both from Quaker Valley High School.

Reagan championed a historical marker project for his part of town while Ryan served as a junior firefighter with Leetsdale Volunteer Fire Department and excelled at training and earned certifications.

This year’s junior council projects have yet to be determined.

Cambria said she plans to look into organizing food drives, blood drives and cleanups.

“I’m hoping to brainstorm a lot in the coming months,” she said. “I hope to gain a lot of experience with organizing, interacting with people on a personal level and a professional level and helping people out.”

Assisting in a community garden is also not out of the question.

Residents last year teamed up with Grow Pittsburgh to create a garden at Henle Park.

The proposed location is a few dozen feet away from the splash pad and on level soil near the playground.

Cambria said her mother, Emily, is an avid gardener, and the pair have tilled the land on the side of their home as a bonding experience.

“I like to do it when I hang out with her,” Cambria said about gardening.

She credits her mother with informing her about the junior council opportunity and was very proud after council made its selection.

Council had voted to appoint Cambria and fellow Quaker Valley junior Grayden O’Kelley, 17, as junior council members on Nov. 14.

However, they were not sworn in at the time.

Council president Maria Napolitano said Grayden, a member of the high school’s track and field team, has not attended any meetings since November, and council is moving forward with Cambria as its solo junior member.

“We look forward to working with Cambria on a community project of her choice,” Napolitano said.