Good morning everybody!
My name is Zoya Shah. It is my honor to be speaking to you all for the very last time as the 2024 Oregon Kid Governor.
Last year at this time I was giving my Inauguration speech and the year ahead seemed so daunting. I was anxious about how I would do justice to this huge responsibility that I had signed up for. A year in office seemed like a really long time for a mere 5th grader. But boy was I wrong! I can’t believe a whole year has flown by and it is time for my Farewell speech already! And what an extraordinary year it has been!
Running for office was honestly my best decision yet. This past year in office gave me so many amazing experiences and incredible opportunities along with helping me be a more confident, empathetic and a better leader. I would not be exaggerating if I say it has been life-changing and has given me memories for a lifetime.
I won the 2024 elections on my platform of Creating mental health awareness in kids. Having suffered from extreme anxiety myself this issue is very close to my heart. When I realized that kids feelings are mostly dismissed and that kids mental health is not given as much importance because people don’t believe little kids could have mental health issues, I just knew that I had to get my voice out there and change that narrative. I had to do my bit to remove the stigma surrounding mental health and let people know that kids feelings are valid too. Being the ORKG gave me the perfect platform to do so.
When I started out, I was a little apprehensive about who would listen to what a 10yr old child had to say. I was soon pleasantly surprised by how many people were willing to listen. To create awareness, I met a lot of important people and attended a lot of interviews and events and all of these people treated me like anything but a child.
I got to meet Gov Tina Kotek who was kind enough to shoot a small video with me to spread the message about taking care of our mental health.
I met with Congresswoman Andrea Salinas, Representative Ben Bowman, Senator Woods, all of whom were very interested in what I had to say and had excellent pieces of advice for me. Senator Woods was also gracious enough to share his life experiences with me.
When I was scheduled to meet with Deputy Secretary of State Cheryl Myers, our meeting was set for 1 hour. I wondered if she would be bored talking to a 5th grader for that long. ¬¬Well guess what, our meeting ran over and we still hadn’t run out of words. And I can also proudly say that Cheryl has been one of my biggest cheerleaders never shying away from championing my cause. Thank you Cheryl!
I was the keynote speaker at the Oregon Youth Summit in a room full of high-schoolers who had made it their mission to work towards the mental well-being of young children. It warmed my heart to see that they are working to make the future easier for kids like me.
Being the Keynote speaker at the National Association of Attorney Generals Summit has definitely been the highlight of my term. I spoke to the Attorney Generals from all 50 states and also received my first standing ovation there. It gave me hope to see that so many people holding an important post in office are willing to learn and make changes for the well-being of youth.
I am proud to say I started Club Mighty Minds in our school where students met once a week to talk about their feelings. Some students joined the club just because they wanted to learn more about mental health so they could help someone in need.
Another time I was the keynote speaker at annual fundraiser event for National Alliance of Mental Health, I was moved to see so many members in the audience in tears during my speech. A few of them including a couple of state representatives came up to me after the speech to thank me and to say that my story inspired them and that they will do their best to try and create changes. I share this with you not to brag but to show how we can create ripple effects by taking the first step no matter how small.
When I had started my term, my goal was to have people talk about having mental health issues as easily as talking about hafiving a headache or a fever. Though I can confidently say that I made significant progress in that area there is still a lot left to be desired. But I’m positive that slowly but surely we will get there.
Though I have to acknowledge that the progress I made could not have been possible without an army of people who stood by me tirelessly. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them.
First, I would like to thank my school friends from Findley Elementary for believing in me and choosing me as their school representative. Thanks to My principal Dr. Marsh and my teacher Mr. Potocki for all their support.
Thank you to all the students across Oregon who put their faith in me when they elected me as their Kid Governor.
A big thanks to my amazing cabinet members Kaavya, Phoebe, Lydia, Bassem, Shaurya and Remy for all their support and cooperation throughout my term while they worked on accomplishing their own platforms too.
A huge shoutout to Nikki Fisher for all her guidance, patience and support throughout my term. It always brought my great reassurance to see her friendly face at all my events. She always hyped me up when I would be feeling the jitters before a big event. I would truly be lost without you Nikki. Thank you!
And last but not the least I’m forever grateful to my parents and my little brother Ayaan for always standing by me, supporting me and for being my biggest cheerleaders. I could not have done this without you.
Now, I would like to extend a hearty welcome our new Kid Governor Rosie and all her amazing cabinet members. Congratulations to all of you for making it here.
Rosie, when I first saw your campaign video I was blown away by your confidence. You look like someone who has got this and will get things done! Sure it might be overwhelming at times but I believe in you.
With all the winter storms, hurricanes, flooding and wildfires that our country has seen in the last year, Climate change surely is a pressing issue we need to talk about. I will definitely be taking tips from your 3 point actions plan and try to implement those at home. I’m excited to follow your journey and will be rooting for you. Good luck with everything.
As I am ready to end my term today, I want to assure you that my work here has not ended. If anything, the past year has motivated me even more because now I know that We are the Change that we seek!