DENVER — An eighth grader from Aurora got a taste of what it's like to lead the state of Colorado, spending the day in the governor's chair as part of a first-year student contest.
Angelique Tolbert, a student at Sky Vista Middle School, won the "Governor for a Day Contest" hosted by Gov. Jared Polis. She attended cabinet meetings, fielded questions from the media and signed a proclamation declaring the day "Let Students Lead Day."
Tolbert is already an active leader at her school, participating in student council, drama club and the National Junior Honor Society. She has her sights set on a future career in law.
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She used her platform to highlight issues she says aren't getting enough attention from the people who make decisions.
"The rise of social media and a lot of cyberbullying and definitely cultural and belief differences that aren't heard about from the youth, even though we're affected by it just as much as adults are," Tolbert said.
Polis said the contest is part of a broader effort to make young people feel like government belongs to them, too.
"I think a lot of young people and people of all ages, but especially young people, look at government and they see something and they say it's not for me. I don't think I'm part of it. I don't feel part of it. So I think it's really important on the government side to welcome them in. That means governor for a day, but it also means we've appointed young people to different boards and commissions," Polis said.
This is the first year Polis has held the contest. He said the submission videos were so strong that he chose two winners instead of one. Weston Hancock, an eighth grader from Ridgeline Middle School in Windsor, will have his day in the governor's office in a few weeks.
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