This past weekend, the YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester celebrated an outstanding performance by its White Plains Youth & Government delegation at the New York State Youth & Government Conference. The weekend was highlighted by legislative and judicial achievements, individual recognition, and awards honoring community service and leadership.
All 11 bills presented by the delegation passed in their respective chambers, with nine ultimately signed into law by the Youth Governor. Three bills received the Outstanding Bill Award: Bill 1 (Emma Corona, Ella Frager, Birlie Scott, and Sophia Huanaca), Bill 142 (Pierce Biffert, Cameron Saily, Nizar Hammami, Eli Freedberg, and Layne Tasnady), and Bill 116 (Karim Hammami and Nathaniel Gosdin). Individual honors included Karim Hammami as Outstanding Debater and Mario Novello as Outstanding Delegate.
The YMCA’s Judicial program also had an exceptional showing, with 22 attorney pairs competing and 18 winning their cases. Three students—Abraham Beals, Juan Arroyo, and Delphine Larosiliere—were recognized as Outstanding Attorneys, and Abraham Beals earned the distinction of Outstanding Firm.
Scholarship recognition highlighted the weekend’s achievements. Layla Hanbali received the Fosdick-San Antonio Memorial Scholarship, awarded annually to four juniors for their dedication to service and community involvement. Francis Fokue was awarded the Clement A. Duran Scholarship, granted to one senior each year in recognition of leadership, community commitment, and support for post-high school goals.
Several students were also selected for prestigious national programs. Francis Fokue, Charis Choi, and Daniel Appel will attend the National Judicial Competition in Austin, TX, while Olivia Pesso, Layla Hanbali, and Karim Hammami were selected for the Conference on National Affairs at Blue Ridge YMCA. Additionally, Karim Hammami, Mario Novello, and Olivia Pesso were elected as legislative presiding officers for the 2026–2027 conference year.
Capping off an incredible weekend, the delegation earned the Building Strong Communities Award, recognizing the program with the highest community service per capita.