Last week Montverde Academy eighth grade day student Molly Smith travelled to Tallahassee, Florida, with her Montverde Academy Leadership Institute peers and MVA administrators – Mr. Chris Mitchell, Director of Development and Government Affairs, and Mr. Phil Prescott, Religions and Bible Studies teacher. During their visit, the group toured areas of the Florida Capitol Complex.
After returning to Montverde Academy, Molly submitted the following essay to Montverde.org detailing her enriching experience:
Last Monday afternoon, the Leadership Institute set out to see our legislature in action. We explored what it’s really like to work in the capitol building, and how the legislative process works. It was truly an experience we will remember forever, as many of us are considering possibly working in politics one day. We pile into our two vans, and start on our long car ride. When I say long, I mean so long that we heard Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself” probably more than twenty times, but that’s not the point.
The MVA Leadership Institute had the opportunity to have dinner with Senator Alan Hays, the representative from our district. We were able to ask our questions about what it’s like to work as a senator, the most inspiring moment in his life, the most rewarding part of his job, and of course, who he plans to support in the Republican Primary. Senator Hays had some great advice for us, and he seemed to really enjoy speaking to students. He told us that balance was one of the most important things we can have in life. If we can balance our job, family, hobbies, and spiritual beliefs, we will find true happiness. The next day we had the opportunity to witness him in action at a committee meeting, which made all of us see how Senator Hays really is such a personable, and honest man; we thoroughly enjoyed talking to him.
Tuesday, after exploring the historic capitol building, we went into the modern, fully functioning capitol building. We saw lobbyists everywhere, hoping to get their opinion heard. We also spoke with Representative Larry Metz and Representative Amanda Murphy. Representative Murphy told us about what it’s like to be a woman in legislature, and how she makes her decision on how she will vote. Representative Metz explained some of the legislative process to us, and then took us into the House of Representatives for a quick photo. The House and the Senate were places we had read and heard about, but it was never the same as actually being there. Actually standing in the spot where our laws are changed was a moment where I had to stop to take it all in.
Overall, this trip was a huge learning experience for us. We got an inside look at how our government really works. There is a lot more that goes into being a political leader than we thought, and to think of the fact that most of them have another job as well is just incredible! We discovered that politics is not always like what you see on TV, with scandals and lies, but really honorable people working to make the state better. This was a great trip that we will all remember forever, and you never know, one day I could be voting one of my peers for president.
Montverde Academy Leadership Institute dinner with Senator Alan Hays.
Montverde Academy Leadership Institute during tour of Florida Capitol Complex.