Meet Ridgway Chamber Youth Ambassador Elizabeth Mueller
Elizabeth Mueller, who will be in 12th grade at the Ridgway Secondary School in fall 2018, was appointed as the Ridgway Area Chamber of Commerce’s first youth ambassador in fall 2017. Among her duties, she wrote the welcome letter in the 2018 Ridgway Visitors Guide (see page 2), posts as #ridgwaythroughyoungeyes on the chamber’s Instragram page (ridgwaycolorado), and represents youth at chamber events.
Ridgway Chamber President Colin Lacy explained, “We started the Youth Ambassador program with the vision and support of the Chamber's communications partner Tanya Ishikawa. This is a small first step to amplify the youth voice and better connect local commerce with local education. Local business success is predicated on local talent. As a community, our first-priority talent pipeline should be our local students. We are grateful for Elizabeth's talent and entrepreneurial spirit to launch this new initiative with us.”
Elizabeth is active in various arts activities, including piano, trumpet, violin, ballet and pointe, visual art, acting, and singing. She plans to attend a college with a great theater program. Her school activities include Key Club, Student Council and National Honors Society, and she can also be seen volunteering around the area, especially for Communities that Care Coalition (CTC).
“I have a great respect for the chamber for making an effort to involve the youth of our community through the ambassador program, marketing strategies, and events like the volunteer fair. I've always felt that there is a bit of a disconnect from the inner workings of the adult community and the youth of our area. Youth development is a delicate process anywhere you go and the chamber's effort to reach out to middle and high school students alike, I feel, will bridge a gap in development that has been present for far too long. Reaching the upcoming members of Ridgway is likely the best way to ensure community development and I am thrilled that the chamber recognizes that,” she said.
Elizabeth is one of Ridgway’s #1 fans, readily extolling the town for its many assets, from its many community celebrations to its welcoming people. Her favorite spot near Ridgway is Blaine Basin (in the Mount Sneffels Wilderness Area of the Uncompahgre National Forest) – a beautiful hike especially in the late summer when the wildflowers are in bloom.
“My involvement in the Chamber of Commerce has become one of the highest honors of my high school career. Being elected Youth Ambassador means that certain members of the community were able to recognize myself and the youth body I represent as an important part of our town and I am so pleased to be able to facilitate that connection. In addition, I feel my time serving as Ridgway Chamber's Youth Ambassador will better prepare me for a successful future beyond my high school career and beyond Ridgway, giving me a chance to see community thinkers in action and to contribute to the development of my home,” she concluded.