By Mimi Darley Dutton | [email protected]

Instead of the traditional end-of-year banquet for Mayor’s Youth Council seniors, Draper City hosted a drive-thru ceremony June 3 for the dozen graduates to thank them for their service. 

Seniors on the council were: Elle Stoker, Eric Tavares, Katia Albayeros, Landon Dance, Nick Waddoups, Olivia Kitterman, Elliott Detjen, Grace Kim, Taylor Gibbons, Ben Jackson, Grace Manning and Emilee Smith. Stoker served as Youth Mayor and Kitterman, Kim and Tavares made up the Executive Board. 

Each senior’s vehicle was given a police escort as they drove through the parking lot behind City Hall, stopping to receive a gift bag and a verbal thank you from Mayor Troy Walker, other youth council members and advisors, City Manager David Dobbins and City Councilmembers Tasha Lowery and Mike Green. Gift bags included a glass trophy, a certificate indicating how many hours they’d volunteered and an Astro Burgers gift card. 

“What an impressive group of high school seniors! Our graduates from the youth council diligently served and accomplished so much throughout the year and remained strong during these last few months. They will surely continue to achieve and impress us in the coming years. I look forward to seeing what they all do next. We will miss them,” Walker said.