William Floyd High School senior Mathew Reis has been chosen for the YMCA Youth Advocate Program, a four-month advocacy training initiative. This program allows students to voice their concerns on various issues and gain experience advocating with Congress members in Washington, D.C. Mathew is one of about 50 high school students selected nationwide this year and the third William Floyd student chosen in the past three years, following Joshua Schultzer in 2024 and Sia Minhas in 2023. He will attend the conference from March 2-5.
Mathew serves as the youth lieutenant governor for the New York State YMCA Youth and Government program, where he manages statewide service projects and other executive tasks. This year's project completed over 1,300 hours of community service. “Being selected for this opportunity is an incredible honor,” said Mathew. “Growing up in a district where advocacy is often necessary to secure resources, I’ve seen firsthand how important it is for young leaders to be involved in shaping policy.”
During his junior year, Mathew was deputy speaker of Assembly Freedom for Youth and Government. He was also twice a delegate at the Conference on National Affairs (CONA), where his proposals placed him among the top 12 debaters out of approximately 60,000 Youth and Government students nationally. He earned awards such as “Outstanding Statesman” at CONA and the Fosdick-San Antonio Memorial Scholarship.
Additionally, Mathew and fellow senior Alice Chen were among three nationwide team winners in the YMCA Changemakers Project competition, focusing on nitrogen pollution caused by stormwater runoff on Long Island. They received a $5,000 grant for their project.
In his free time, Mathew participates in Boy Scouts leadership, several honor societies at William Floyd High School, and volunteered over 120 hours last year. He is also New York State policy director for the American Youth Association.
After graduation this June, Mathew plans to major in justice and peace studies and government while finalizing his college decision.
Mathew attended William Floyd schools K-12 including Moriches Elementary School and William Floyd Middle School.