Story by Amy Jackson
WASHINGTON, D.C. – For most high school students, politics seem like something to be studied for class, or watched on the evening news. But Kenwood senior Sha’Ron Mallard recently got personally involved in the political process.
Mallard and her faculty advisor, Penny Roberson, just got back from a trip to Washington, DC. While in the nation’s capital, Mallard made several visits to elected officials advocating for full funding of career and technical education (CTE) classes.
Mallard is involved in Kenwood’s Family and Consumer Science program and is a state officer for FCCLA, the student led organization that is part of her studies. As state vice president for public relations, Mallard and other state officers had the opportunity to bend the ears of Senator Lamar Alexander, Representative Marsha Blackburn, and members of Senator Bob Corker’s staff. In her meetings she stressed why career and technical education classes (which years ago were called “vocational” classes) are so important to students today. “Before being involved I was pretty shy, now I feel very confident about public speaking,” said Mallard.
In addition to advocating for continued federal funding of CTE programs, Mallard and her delegation also got to see firsthand the effects of the partial government shutdown. “It was pretty amazing to see. The monuments and attractions were closed, we had to view them from a distance,” she said.
Mallard and the other student leaders also made time for community service during their trip, volunteering at the D.C. Central Kitchen. FCCLA and other CTE student organizations stress community service as part of their programs.