By Ainsley Hall
HEDGESVILLE — Hedgesville High School senior Ella Waters represented Berkeley County at the West Virginia Youth in Government event in Charleston April 25-27.
Last year, Waters was elected youth governor, which gave her the opportunity to experience state politics firsthand.
The West Virginia Youth in Government program gives students all over the state the opportunity to learn more about politics. Through a three-day mock simulation, students serve in several different elected positions.
Waters served as youth governor, giving her the power to sign legislation written by other high school students.
“My favorite part was probably seeing all the different ideas people came up with and the potential that the West Virginia youth have,” Waters said. “Everyone is so passionate about some incredible things. It was a real privilege to be a part of it.”
Some of the bills included putting age limits on political positions and allowing people to whistle underwater, which Waters shared is currently illegal in West Virginia. Students were very creative and shared their passion for politics through this event.
Waters plans to continue her education at George Mason University and hopes to move back to West Virginia to serve the people. She served as a page in the Senate, which inspired her interest in politics and her goal to serve as a senator in the future.
“What makes me interested in politics is having the power to change things that you care about,” Waters said. “I really started to love West Virginia. My mom likes to call me a ‘West Virginia enthusiast.’ It was something I was really into, and being able to change my future was pretty cool.”
Waters wants to inspire other kids her age to join the Youth in Government program. This year, Hedgesville High School was the only school in Berkeley County to attend. It brought nine students to the event, but Waters hopes to see even more students get involved in the future.
“Currently, politics is so polarizing to a lot of people my age,” Waters said. “Not many young people are interested in it. I want to show them it’s more than one side of an aisle. It’s about bettering people’s lives.”
Waters took the time to thank Hedgesville High School Principal Ronald Lyons for making sure students had transportation for the event, Saira Blair for mentorship and support as Waters took on the youth governor position and Delegate Paul Espinosa, who provided an office for Waters during the event.