6A
Date: August 11, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Ted Stevens, Community Services Director
By: Jesus Castro, Senior Recreation Supervisor | [email protected] Subject: Community Services – Appoint Members of the 2026-2027 Torrance Youth Council.
Expenditure: None.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the Community Services Director that City Council appoint eighteen (18) members to the 2026-27 City of Torrance Youth Council and have them officially sworn in by the City Clerk.
FUNDING
None required.
DISCUSSION
The City of Torrance Youth Council is comprised of High School students in Torrance, who are appointed by Your Honorable Body to advise and make recommendations to the City Council, City Staff and Commissions on matters of concern to our Torrance youth. Youth Council is comprised of two members representing each of the Torrance high schools – Torrance High (2), West High (2), North High (2), South High (2) Shery High (2), Bishop (2), El Camino College (2), California Academy of Math & Science (2) and two members-at-large. If students do not apply from a given school, vacancies are filled with qualified applicants from other schools.
On April 15, 2008, Your Honorable Body approved several recommendations from the Youth Council, repealing Youth Council operational Resolution 2004-89 and adopting Resolution 2008-52. One of the revised procedures called for the recruitment of applicants to begin in the Spring with appointments made in Summer. This was so Youth Council members could begin their terms at the beginning of the school year and have more time to serve on the Council and to accomplish goals and objectives.
Following an initial review of applications, it was determined that no applications were received from students attending Shery High School for the 2026–2027 Youth Council term. Consistent with the Youth Council appointment process, the vacant school-designated seat was made available for consideration through the at-large selection process. The Youth Council Selection Committee subsequently convened on June 2, 3, and 5, 2026, to conduct interviews with 52 eligible Youth Council candidates. The Youth Council Selection Committee was comprised of two (2) staff members, two (2) Youth Council seniors, one (1) Torrance Parks and Recreation 1 City Council
August 11, 2026
Commissioner, and two (2) Torrance Commission on Aging Commissioners. As a result of the interviews, the most qualified applicants are recommended to Your Honorable Body to serve a one-year appointment on the Torrance Youth Council from August 2026 to June 2027. (Attachment A)
If approved by the City Council, these applicants will be officially sworn in by the City Clerk.
Meetings will be held on the first and third Wednesday of each month in the West Annex Commission meeting room at City Hall.
All meetings are open to the public, and youth people are encouraged to address the Youth Council on any items related to Torrance youth.
Therefore, it is the recommendation of the Community Services Director that Your Honorable Body appoint eighteen (18) members of the FY2026-2027 Torrance Youth Council.
If approved by the City Council, these applicants will be officially sworn in by the City Clerk.
ATTACHMENT
1.Recommended 2026-2027 Torrance Youth Council roster
2 ATTACHMENT 1
Recommended Appointees to the
2026-2027 City of Torrance Youth Council
NAME
YOUTH COUNCIL MEMBERS and
MEMBERS AT LARGE SCHOOL
ATTENDING (2026-2027)
GRADE
NEW or RETURNING
YOUTH COUNCIL
MEMBERS
1. Raul Acevedo North High 11 New
2. Aidan Alzayat South High 11 RETURNING
3. Esha Chethikattil West High 11 New
4. Jenna Chung South High 11 New
5. Anthony Ge CAMS 12 New
6. Fabiana Hanoun North High 12 RETURNING
7. Jubin Hong Bishop Montgomery 12 RETURNING
8. Simal Hussain North High 12 New
9. Eric Jerez West High 11 New
10. Taegyoung Kim Torrance High 11 New
11. Colin Lee South High 11 New
12. Gwyneth V. Leys Bishop Montgomery 10 RETURNING
13. Zoey Rosen North High 12 RETURNING
14. Cori Song Torrance High 10 RETURNING
15. Olivia Suminaga Torrance High 12 New
16. Ava Thompson Torrance High 10 New
17. Aanya Tripathi CAMS 12 RETURNING
18. Manav Vhanakaware CAMS 10 New
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