Maximilian Solarz is July’s Coalition Member of the Month
Maximilian Solarz is July’s Coalition Member of the Month, representing our Youth Sector since 2016. Maximilian is a 16 year-old junior at Riverhead High School. He serves as the Youth Sector Chair for the Riverhead Community Coalition for Safe and Drug-Free Youth. He is also the Executive Officer of the Riverhead NJROTC unit and a member of the National Honor Society. In his spare time he enjoys working.
a driving force and leader
Over the past several years, Maximilian Solarz has been a dedicated member of the coalition. He is a driving force in the implementation of strategies that focus on preventing and reducing youth use of alcohol, prescription drugs, marijuana, and Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS/vape). Additionally, his excellent communication, leadership, and presentation skills have contributed to many of the coalition’s positive outcomes.
After years of successful coalition involvement, he has taken on a strong leadership position within the group. He plays an integral role in facilitating our monthly RYC (Riverhead Youth Coalition) meetings, training new members to implement coalition strategies, creating and delivering community-based presentations, and leading the youth coalition’s annual recruitment activities. As a result, Maximilian was selected as a lead presenter to speak in front of the Suffolk County Legislature’s Health Committee in June to reduce youth vaping and use of ENDS products through population-level approaches.
Riverhead Community Coalition Coordinator Kelly Miloski sat down with Maximilian Solarz to talk about his experience with the coalition.
Here are the highlights:
- Why did you get involved in the coalition?
“I first became involved in the Riverhead Youth Coalition because I have had some very close friends who have fallen to underage drinking and drug use. I want to help make a difference among teens and I thought that the best way to do this was to participate in the youth coalition.“ - What is your favorite coalition activity?
“My favorite coalition activity is creating and delivering presentations. Besides delivering presentations to the Suffolk County Legislature and at the coalition’s annual Meet & Greet, I have delivered presentations for middle school parents, other Long Island coalitions, and 6th grade Pulaski Street School students as part of our annual recruitment strategy. These presentations help raise awareness and achieve our goal of preventing youth substance use. I enjoy the publicity that you get from these presentations too.” - Name three words that best describe you.
“Ambitious, active, and leader.” - Besides coalition work, what else do you like to do?
“Besides the coalition, I like to participate in NJROTC and I really like to go to work.”
Interested in learning more about coalition or youth coalition membership?
Contact Kelly Miloski at (631) 727-3722 ext. 106 or Kelly.Miloski@RiverheadCAP.org.