Author: Zoya Shah

One of my wishes as Kid Governor was to meet the actual Governor of Oregon, and in late September my wish came true! It was an experience that I will never forget.

We left for the Oregon State library (we were meeting there) early in the morning and arrived there in around an hour. We arrived on time, but the real challenge was finding parking. All the parking spots were taken for blocks around. When we finally found one, we realized that we would have to walk all the way there in the cold, morning air. We shivered along. When we were walking to the library, we saw Governor Kotek getting out of her car. After that we literally started running so that she would not have to wait for us. I was in a dress and by the time I got to the building my legs were practically frozen.

We entered the library through a side entrance. The room we entered through was quite plain and drab, but as we went to the main rooms it got a lot more grand. We rode up in an elevator and got out on the 3rd floor. When we got out, I was relieved to see that the governor had not arrived yet. We met the governor’s assistants. They were both so nice and made me feel very welcome. We spoke a little bit and sat down. Soon after, the governor entered.

When the governor entered I was in awe. In my 9 months of being a Kid Governor I had not met the governor once. So you can imagine how excited I was to finally meet her. One of the first things I noticed was that she brought her dog. Her dog (Teddy) was so cute!

We spoke about my platform and what she was doing to help raise mental health awareness in kids. She is also very passionate about my platform! She made me feel very comfortable and important. Even though she holds such a high office and has so much power she has no airs about her. She is a very down to earth person. We sat down and I began interviewing her. Once we finished all the questions I had prepared, she asked me a few things about myself, such as my hobbies and about school.

After we finished talking, one of her staff suggested that we make a video together to raise mental health awareness. We both thought that this was a great idea. We were going to film the video at her desk. Her desk was a rich brown color and large. The chair was comfy, and padded with black leather. I wondered what it would be like to work on that desk and how it would feel to sit in that chair. As I was wondering, I heard Gov. Kotek say aloud, “Zoya, would you like to sit in my chair?” It was almost like she read my mind! I felt so honored to sit in that chair.

Governor Kotek and I were given a format to follow and we had a few minutes to come up with the things we were going to say.

It is a lot harder to shoot an impromptu video than you might think. You have to remember what you are going to say, and then you have to actually say it. It was a little bit nerve racking, doing the video with the actual governor, but she was very nice to me whenever I messed up. When we finally got it right, I was pretty impressed by how much we’d done in 10 minutes.

As I was heading out of the governor’s office she gave me something. It was a governor pen! Apparently she gave them to people after they signed bills. I felt very important to receive one. Outside of the office there was a small bowl of York candies. Since she was born in York, Pennsylvania, they are one of her favorite candies. She asked me to take one and I happily obliged.

Once we left, I didn’t even mind the cold because my mind was too busy thinking about the meeting. In the car on the way to school all I could think about was the great experience I had just had.

Welcome back to my blog! So far, my time on the Oregon Kid Governor’s cabinet has been very exciting. If you read my last blog, you would know that I have put together a very successful fundraiser based on plastic recycling. I used an amazing program called TERRACYCLE that allows you to send in plastic that is not normally accepted for recycling (e.g., toothpaste tubes, shampoo bottles, juice packets) and they will recycle it. In exchange for your plastic, they give you money that then goes to your school for better materials!

To do this I talked to an adult member of a group called the GREEN TEAM, which is part of the Oregon Green Schools program. The GREEN TEAM was created in my school to find ways to foster sustainability leadership among students and think of ways to make our school more eco friendly. The adult leader of the GREEN TEAM in my school told me that she would partner with me and sponsor the TERRACYCLE fundraising project I developed and help me send the plastic to TERRACYCLE if I collected it. To do this, we needed to create boxes to collect various kinds of plastic that is not easily recyclable and ship it to TERRACYCLE. I got a team of 5th graders to help me collect boxes from houses and recycling bins. Together we decorated them make it more fun for others. After that we designed posters to put around the school to catch peoples’ attention and advertise the program. I also talked to the parent teacher association and the principle to make sure that the program was advertised through the parent-teacher associations emails and programs, as well as those for the whole school.

Lastly, I went around from class to class telling kids why it is important to recycle and to ask them to bring in the plastic products that we were recycling through our program. Over many months many people brought in a small donations of plastic materials and we sent the plastic back to TERRACYCLE. We were able to raise hundreds of dollars for our school doing this. I am now working to make this a yearly event in more schools across Oregon.

Kaavya

I have had the honor of being the kid governor of Oregon for almost 9 months now. I have done a lot to spread awareness about mental health, and I have given lots of speeches. However, being one of the keynote speakers at the National Association of Attorney Generals Summit has definitely been one of my favorite experiences so far. The summit was hosted by Oregon’s Attorney General. The summit was a place where all Attorney Generals and their teams from all 50 states can come together and discuss issues. This summit was focused on America’s youth: Looking out for the next generation. They were focused on the physical, financial, mental, and social health of kids. AG Ellen Rosenblum and her team invited me to speak for the mental health part of the summit.

We left home at about 8:30 that day and we arrived there at 9:00. The meeting was taking place in the ballroom at the Nines. The Nines is a luxury hotel in downtown Portland.

As we made our way to the elevators, I saw more and more people. Some of them were girl scouts. They had a presentation right before my speech. We rode up the elevator to the 6th floor, and as the door opened and we were greeted by a sign that told us exactly where the meeting was taking place. We walked inside and saw a large breakfast buffet fully stocked with eggs, bacon, muffins, scones, croissants, and puddings. I grabbed a plate and started getting food. I got 2 muffins, a croissant and a little bit of pudding to try. WE found a table in the big breakfast room where we were supposed to eat and settled down. The first thing I noticed there was the chandeliers. Every couple of yards on the ceiling was an extravagant chandelier, made out of crystal. The second thing I noticed was how many people there were. At each table there were about 5-10 people dressed in business suits and fancy dresses. All of a sudden, I felt so nervous. This was the biggest crowd I had spoken in front of yet. What if I messed up? I took a deep breath and sat down. I started eating the muffin first. The second I bit into it my eyes closed. It was like a piece of baked heaven! I quickly gobbled up the muffins and finished everything else. Soon after it was time to go to the ballroom where the Summit was taking place.

The room we walked into was more or less just an oversized conference room with a small stage in front. We awkwardly stood at the doorway for a minute and then, we met Ellen Rosenblum The attorney general of Oregon.

Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is in her 3rd term as Attorney general. She is also the first woman attorney general to ever serve in Oregon. She has 2 grand kids and is really nice. Any nervousness that I had had before disappeared as soon as I spoke to her. The way she spoke to me made me feel so special. She spoke to me like an equal, even though she is such an important person. She thanked me for coming and showed me and my family to a place near the front where we could sit.

The summit started with Attorney General Rosenblum and her grandkids singing the national anthem. They all had lovely singing voices! Right after a short introduction the girl scouts presented the flag and said the pledge of allegiance. They were all very calm which was amazing compared to my racing nerves. Then the attorney general was up there introducing my platform and me.

I walked up to the stage, took a deep breath and then tried to stop my knees from knocking together. Once I started my speech all my worries faded away. I spoke through my speech. I think it was easier to talk because I was speaking about something I was so passionate about. But at the end I got the biggest surprise. I got my first standing ovation!! My heart swelled with pride. I was so happy!

I had to leave early because I had to get to school. As I exited the room the girl scouts who had presented came up to me and complimented me. It was so nice of them to do that. After I talked to them for a while, we left and drove to school. At school that day I couldn’t really focus because my mind kept wandering. I couldn’t stop thinking about the meeting. I am so grateful for that amazing opportunity and I will never forget it!

P.S. A couple days after the event I got an email from the attorney general of Oregon herself thanking me for coming. I felt so proud when I got the letter. It was really thoughtful of them to do that!

My name is Phebe and I’m on the Oregon Kid Governor Cabinet. My platform is endangered animals. I’ve decided to focus on the endangered rusty patched bumble bee. My three-point plan is to first, encourage teachers to take their students on more nature walks to connect with all the wildlife around us. Second, form a “save the bees, save our food sources” committee in a school environment. Third, organize a fundraiser and donate the money raised to the OREGON BEE PROJECT.

So far, I have completed all three steps. In March, I designed a poster explaining my three-point plan and encouraging nature hikes. My friends helped me post these flyers around my school. In June, 2024 I developed a fundraiser for grades 3 – 5 at my school. I gave each class a jar and told to try to donate as much money as they can in a week. I talked to them about my goals and showed a video explaining the fund raiser. There would only be one winning class. The prize was to go on a hike with me and have cake! I was totally surprised by the results. We ended up raising a total of $755.00! My fifth-grade class was the winning class, we raised $264.00! We had a great time eating a beehive-shaped cake and walking on a trail in the forest learning about the plants.

I was so happy to send in a check to the OREGON BEE PROJECT. The money will go to research to help save the Bees.

If you’d like to help support my cause, please donate to the Oregon Bee Project.

On May 18 an event called NAMIWalks took place (Nami stands for National Alliance for Mental Health). Nami’s mission is to provide advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives. NAMIWALKS as the name suggests was a walk organized to create more awareness about mental health. The organizers were kind enough to invite me, and of course I went.

We left home at around 10:30, and arrived at the event by 11:00. The event took place in Peninsula Park and the turnout was great. We went to the T-Shirt booth to check-in with one of the volunteers and there we met Cheryl Meyers, the deputy secretary of state! She introduced me to the organizers of the event and to some other elected officials who had shown up. As usual, she put me at ease right away and made sure I did not feel out of place. Then together, we went to explore the many stalls.

The stalls were set up in a horseshoe shape around the park, and a stage was in the center of it. A yoga lesson was taking place on the stage and quite a few people were participating. We started at the left of the horseshoe and worked our way to the right. Every booth had some activity to do or some information to share regarding mental health. There was one stall where you could take a basil plant, pot it in your own pot, decorate the pot and then take it home.

Another stall that I stopped by was run by a mental health organization and they were handing out cards and envelopes with motivational words on them, like you matter and you belong .There was also a face painting stall, a balloon animal stall, a fortune telling stall, and various other stalls from mental health organizations. At around 11:45 some people came to the event with therapy animals! There was a llama, a pony, and a lot of baby goats. The people set up a pen around the goats. They let people in a few at a time and let them pet the goats. The goats were so adorable, and I almost dragged my mom to come with me. When we finally entered the pen, a baby goat with a bandana around its neck came and sat down in my lap. I learnt the hard way that the goats really liked chewing on hair and clothes, and quite a few times I had to tug away my hair from their mouths! Maybe they thought my hair was hay and tried to eat it.

I visited the pony next. I loved the cute ponies and also had fun feeding them lettuce and carrots. I also clicked a few pictures with them. Much too soon they had to leave. Being with the baby goats brought me a sense of calm and made me happy, so I guess therapy animals do help your mental health. (Now if only my mom would agree to get me a dog)

We checked out some more booths, and before long, the speeches started.

At around 12:45, the NAMI leaders and the special guests gave their speeches, and spoke about what the walk was all about. Soon after, They called me on the stage and introduced me and my platform. They asked me to cut the ribbon to start the race. For a moment I didn’t register what they had said, but when I came to my senses I almost screamed YES!! I was so excited, happy and important. Being a ribbon cutter is a huge honor and I felt super proud that they had asked me to be one.

I stood by the ribbon and was waiting as the crowd was counting down from 10. The second they reached one I cut the ribbon and it fell down with a satisfying snip. I stood off to one side as people walked onto the trail. I had strangers walk up to me and congratulate me and give me a high five. It felt good to be recognized by people I didn’t know.

Going to NamiWalks was a really great experience. I was happy that so many people had come to celebrate the importance of mental wellbeing. Inaugurating the walk was something I will never forget and I am happy I got the opportunity to attend!

So far, in my 5 months of being kid governor, I have been to many events and have given many interviews and speeches. But, being the keynote speaker at the Oregon Youth Summit is definitely an experience that I will never forget. The main focus of the summit was youth mental wellness. The Oregon youth summit is an event that brings together teenage leaders and they all discuss a topic. Their goals are for kids to learn about the government, engage with government officials, and talk about challenges that Oregon’s youth face today.

The event started at 8:30 AM. I had left my house that morning eagerly anticipating the event. I was feeling a lot of emotions that day. I was mostly excited but I was equally nervous. It was the first time I had been asked to give a 10 minute long speech and I was worried that I would fumble or mess up. Being a keynote speaker felt like a big responsibility. When we arrived, I was a little bit surprised that the Summit was taking place at the Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. As we entered the campus, I saw students strolling in and out of the gorgeous brick buildings. The campus even had a little stream with colorful koi fish swimming around. When we went inside the room where the summit was taking place, I could feel the butterflies dancing in my stomach. The room was packed with high schoolers. We were greeted by various adults who told us to sit at a table near the front of the room. Being the only 11yr old in a room packed full of high schoolers, I felt a little out of place. I could feel curious stares prickling on my back as I took my seat. As I gazed at the podium, a new fear arose in my throat. The podium was towering above me. I didn’t know how I was supposed to be seen over it. When I voiced my concern to my mom, she immediately told the person in charge. We spent the next 5 minutes hunting for something that was the right size for me to stand on. We tried chairs, stools, boxes and pretty much everything else you can possibly imagine for me to step on so the audience can see me above the podium. It was a little bit awkward going to and fro from the podium. I started to get a lot of curious stares, for I kept going on and off the podium. Finally, we decided on a chair (it was a little bit too tall). Soon after, the summit started. Some people introduced the summit and what it’s about. The next thing I knew, they were introducing me.

I walked up to the podium and began my speech. I spoke about my experiences and my platform, and about why it is so important to have good mental health. Then, before I knew it I had finished my 10 minute long speech. I walked down from the podium, I realized that it wasn’t as hard as I’d thought it would be. Once I got into the flow of speaking, the words came out naturally. I barely noticed that there were people in the room.

Soon after, we took a group picture. I had many people come and talk to me, and even though I was the smallest person in the room nobody treated me that way. I had to leave before the summit was over because I had to get to school. Before I left, I was presented with a challenge coin by Steve Campbell, Director of community services and public safety for the city of happy valley. A challenge coin is a coin that is presented to someone who has done a service to the community. I was so proud to receive the challenge coin. My challenge coin was given to me by the city of Happy Valley. Alas, I now had to get to school. As I got into the car, I thought about how fortunate I had been to get to be one of the keynote speakers at the summit and how great of an opportunity it had been. It was so amazing to see so many people who believed in my cause and who believed that we could make a change.

When I finally got to school, I couldn’t stop thinking about the youth summit and what an amazing experience it was. I had so much fun being there and speaking about my cause.