Teens share what would keep them in Dayton during mayor’s youth summit

Teens were encouraged to jot down answers on sticky notes to questions about what would convince them to stay in Dayton, what they like about their neighborhoods and what they would change about where they live.

Some teens said family and friends would keep them in Dayton.

Others said they’d stay here if there were cleaner neighborhoods, more opportunities, more activities for young people and more creative and academic experiences.

Dayton is a good community, but it definitely has room for growth, said Micah Rambo, 15, who is a sophomore at Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School.

Dayton seems to be on a positive trajectory, said Rambo, adding that she’d probably look at leaving if she felt it was headed in the wrong direction and didn’t continue to improve.

Rambo said one big takeaway from Wednesday’s event was, “You are part of the future. You are part of the progress. You are part of changing things. And you matter — you are the deciding factor.”

The goal of the summit was to make sure that young people know they have value and that lots of local people understand this and can help them as they transition into adulthood, said Mayor Mims, who shook hands with or hugged and introduced himself to nearly every student who attended.

Mims said he hopes the summit will help make the case that Dayton is a supportive community, and that young people should seriously consider remaining here when they finish high school or come back if they leave for college or other reasons.

“The aspect of how we create the best conditions for our young people to be successful is why we are here,” Mims told the crowd on Wednesday. “You right now represent 20% of our population as youth, but you’re 100% of our future.”

Camya Helton-Thomas, a 16-year-old senior at Stivers School for the Arts, said she wants to remain in Dayton after high school and hopes to get a full-ride scholarship from the University of Dayton.

“I want to be a community leader,” said Helton-Thomas, who wants to be a neurosurgeon.

Rose Clark, 17, a junior at Stivers, said she wants to leave Dayton and see the world, but she expects to return.

“Ohio is kind of like a wormhole — you always come back to it,” said Clark, who hopes to become a forensic scientist and a musician.

Clark and Helton-Thomas both said that many young people think Dayton is boring and there’s not much to do here.

Helton-Thomas said nothing is going to change unless people take it upon themselves to make things better.