The world of politics can be intimidating for some people. For Javan Santos, a UOG math major and a member of the 30th Guam Youth Congress, the need for reform and transparency motivated him to engage in public service.

Santos, 19, has served in the Youth Congress for nearly two years.

The Youth Congress is an official legislative body comprising of young members from the community established in 1972 by then Sen. Carl Gutierrez, Today, 32 students, including Santos, serve as representatives for the island’s villages, middle and high schools, and colleges.

The Youth Congress can also pass resolutions and legislative bills that can be sent to the Rules Committee of the Guam Legislature.

As a member of Youth Congress, Santos has authored a number of bills.

This includes one that would allow high school students on Guam to receive credits for joining clubs and another that recognized same-sex marriage on Guam.

Introducing the same-sex marriage bill was an experience that hit close to home for Santos.

“When I issued it to the floor, it was pretty emotional,” Santos said. “My own experiences as a gay man propelled me to write the bill so that members of future generations wouldn’t have to go through as much of the stigma I’ve undertaken.”

When it came to voting time, the bill was passed on the Youth Congress floor. This was before it was enacted through the Guam Superior Courts of Appeal.

Currently, Santos is collaborating with his fellow Youth Congress members to introduce a bill that would make communication between the organization and the legislature more transparent and direct.

“We came in with the dream that we were going to see a lot of our [work] go on the floor,” Santos said. “But in reality, we only had one bill go on the floor this last term.”

Santos plans to pursue a career in either law or political science. He also expressed interest in producing a podcast that would inform teenagers about how the government works on Guam. Santos is considering running for a second term in the Guam Youth Congress, where he hopes to introduce two bills, one improving the quality of LGBT health education and one that would improve the condition of Guam’s mass transit system.