He is also a bit more than average, having ranked third on his school's varsity tennis team and, since last October, serving as one of San Jose's 11 youth commissioners, representing District 6.

More specifically, Polo acts as a liaison between the youth of Willow Glen and the city of San Jose, a position that is both time-consuming and weighty. As a youth commissioner, he attends monthly meetings and has committed to a three-year term.

"There's not much going on for youth here, and this is kind of a chance to make something happen," he says. "I want to be the one to get something started.

While he is still learning the ropes, Polo is ever mindful of his position, encouraging Willow Glen residents of all ages to attend youth commission meetings.

"If people want to bring up issues, propositions, problems or ideas they want addressed, we have a section of the meeting for them to do that," he says.

Issues that affect youth go through the youth commission, which acts as an advisory board to the city council.

And each youth commissioner is responsible for creating his or her own youth advisory council.

"Eleven people aren't enough to represent the thousands of youth in San Jose," he says. "It's in the best interest of everyone to get as many voices as we can. The idea is to make the youth advisory council its own working body and I would become the liaison between it and the youth commission."

To recruit interested and dedicated students for the fledgling advisory council, he is holding a social event on April 11—at a yet-to-be-confirmed location in Santana Row—complete with pizza and a band, Betting Fraternity, that features former youth commissioner Justin Imamura. He is using this event as an opportunity to interest youth in city council involvement and is spending his school's spring break posting flyers about the event. He is also speaking to high school leadership classes in the Willow Glen area.

Polo was appointed to the youth commission through an association with Councilman Ken Yeager, who represents Willow Glen. Polo and his mother helped with Yeager's campaign for the November 2000 city council elections, and when Imamura's position opened up, Yeager remembered Polo.

"I had heard that Polo had gone with his class to Washington, D.C.," Yeager says. "I don't often meet youth who are interested in politics and government, and he's a very personable young man, so I remembered his enthusiasm and intelligence."

He invited Polo to apply for the position.

The application process is simple: a basic application form that includes space to state why the applicant is interested in the position. For Polo, it was a multifaceted opportunity: a chance to develop his leadership skills and to meet youth in his neighborhood since he does not attend school locally. He is a junior at Pinewood School in Los Altos.

Looking ahead, however, Polo doesn't see himself headed for a job in government. He wants to attend medical school.

"When I was 4, I wanted to be a pediatrician. Of course, that changed every week, but my mom says whatever you wanted to do first is what you should do. Now, I'm not using that as my basis," he says, "but I think that is what's meant for me."

Youth commission meetings are held the fourth Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at San Jose City Hall, 801 N. First St., Room 204.