![Hosting the SCLA Casptone Mentor Dinner outside allowed for more attendees on September 27, 2021 at Silver Creek. This event would’ve usually been held inside. According to Lauren Kohn, a SCLA 12 teacher, “If we have a higher number of people, as long as we can host the event outside, then that seems to be keeping every[one] safe”.](https://schsnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/sxMAIGbSYGodZkqmrvTi5YWcJ1ssWA08ApkeMLpp-900x675.jpeg)
The State of the City is an annual event that brings together Longmont’s public officials, business leaders, and interested citizens. On Thursday, October 16th, 2025, the meeting began with a breakfast and social mixer, providing invaluable networking opportunities and a time for people to connect and share ideas. Then came presentations from many of Longmont’s leading voices, including Mayor Joan Peck, City Manager Harold Dominguez, multiple small business owners, and St. Vrain Valley School District Superintendent Dr. Jackie Kapushion.
This year, Silver Creek High School had its own representation; Max Vanderschaaf, a senior at Silver Creek, has pioneered a new internship position with the Longmont Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the annual event. This is the first time the Longmont Chamber has had a student intern. Vanderschaaf contacted them and asked if they had any positions open for an interested community member.
At the State of the City, Vanderschaaf worked behind the scenes to ensure everything ran smoothly. He began the internship in September of this year through a program called Leadership Longmont, which collaborates with students through the Silver Creek Leadership Academy (SCLA). Participants in Leadership Longmont have the opportunity to meet with local business leaders and explore various issues impacting Longmont.
“I learned a whole lot about how the city and community operate, and I wanted to be more connected to what the Longmont Chamber does,” Vanderschaaf said.
During the State of the City meeting, Vanderschaaf managed an online Q&A through a website called Slido, where people could send questions virtually to the operations booth. Vanderschaaf and his team then chose the questions that got displayed.
Before the event, Vanderschaaf’s job was to write a press release and compile a list of possible speakers and attendees. He researched possible participants, “why they might be important, [and] how lucrative pursuing them might be,” said Vanderschaaf.
Outside of the State of the City event, Vanderschaaf is working on another project with the Longmont Chamber’s adjacent program, the Chamber Student Network. In the Network, they run meetings with students from both Front Range Community College and some local high schools.
“I’ve met so many cool and interesting people, like business leaders and community members, and have used those connections to start my own programs here at Silver Creek,” Vanderschaaf said.
After the success of his own internship, Vanderschaaf wanted to provide this opportunity to other students.
“I’m working with five to six businesses to create internship positions for SCLA students,” Vanderschaaf said. “Also, in [National Honor Society], I’m developing a $500 leadership grant for students to start projects here at Silver Creek.”
Vanderschaaf has acquired numerous leadership skills during his internship that will be applicable in future jobs and real-world settings. His work with the Chamber has strengthened both his communication abilities and his capacity to facilitate collaboration. Vanderschaaf believes that these kinds of internships are extremely valuable, especially for students planning to attend college, as they provide hands-on experience and practical knowledge that others do not yet possess.
“I wanted an opportunity to use the leadership skills I had gained and developed throughout the entire [internship] from a job perspective,” Vanderschaaf said.
City management and political involvement are traditionally considered jobs and responsibilities for adults. However, Vanderschaaf’s work has introduced many of Longmont’s leaders to the idea of students also taking on these roles.
Scott Cook, the CEO of the Chamber and the MC (Master of Ceremonies) of the event, encourages more students to get involved.
“We want to build strong community leaders,” Cook said. “We see all the students at St. Vrain as our future leaders.”
The State of the City brings together many prominent community members and business owners, many of whom are eager to see more student and youth involvement in the City of Longmont.
Matt Eldrid, a member of the Longmont Chamber Board of Directors and the CEO of the TLC Learning Program, an early childhood education and childcare center, is very proud of the Chamber’s support for local businesses and encourages all members of the community, including students, to take advantage of the opportunities the Chamber provides.
“For the Longmont Chamber, one of the things that is really important to us is advocacy for businesses, small and large,” Eldrid said. “As students are looking into entrepreneurship, the Longmont Chamber is really the place to help them grow and thrive.”
Additionally, the State of the City offers attendees a look at Longmont’s priorities and progress. Cook said that the State of the City lets people step back from their everyday lives and take a look at what is happening in the rest of their community.
“Chambers of Commerce are promoters of their community … a lot of times, people get stuck in their day-to-day work,” Cook said. “This event gives them an opportunity to see what’s going on in the larger community and see all the great things that are being accomplished.”
One of the biggest achievements discussed at the event was the ongoing construction around the city. Many of these projects, such as the repavement of Coffman Street and 3rd Street, the installation of silent crossings at railroad tracks, the new hotel on Main Street, and the development of new, affordable housing, have been in progress for years, and now the community is finally seeing those efforts come to fruition.
The State of the City also includes an entire section, titled the State of Education, where St. Vrain Valley Superintendent Dr. Jackie Kapushion spoke about the outstanding success of our school district and its future improvements. These include plans for a new building for St. Vrain Community Montessori, a K-8 charter school currently operating in downtown Longmont, and the expansion of the Innovation Center.
