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!