4-H teen represents county at Trump’s inauguration
Gillespie one of 28 Ohio delegates in citizenship program
George Gillespie, 15, of Westfield, poses at the television studio news desk of the D.C.-market NBC affiliate during a national 4-H conference he attended during the inauguration. Submitted photo
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Medina County was well represented in our nation’s capital during President Donald Trump’s inauguration, including one local 4-H-er not yet old enough to vote.
George Gillespie, 15, a member of the Westfield Trailblazers for nearly 10 years, was selected as one of 28 teens from throughout Ohio to participate in 4-H’s annual Citizen Washington Focus Jan. 17-21. It was held at the National 4-H Conference Center in nearby Maryland and was the first year the program coincided with a presidential inauguration.
In addition to witnessing the 45th president’s oath of office in person, Gillespie and his nationwide colleagues engaged ahead of time in a number of discussions and problem-solving workshops relative to the processes and branches of government.
“Everyone has different personalities and going there amplified people’s different personalities,” said Gillespie, a Cloverleaf High School sophomore who also plays on the tennis team. “You’re able to learn to work with people, and work with them effectively at that. I think I can take that back to my 4-H group.”
Gillespie’s mother, Heidi, a 4-H advisor herself, tipped him off to the program’s opportunity last summer. Gillespie jumped at the chance to attend, as the presidential campaign was then beginning to heat up.
“When she told me, it was an absolute ‘Of course.’ How do you pass up something like that?” Gillespie said. “When I first found out about it, it was early summer and obviously I didn’t know who was going to win ... it was still up in the air.”
The Ohio delegation – made up of four boys and 24 girls from 13 counties – also visited a number of historic D.C. monuments, as well as the television studio of the local-market NBC affiliate, where Gillespie posed for a quick photo behind the news desk.
Sharing his thoughts on the new president, the teen said he has “seen a lot of passion” from him and hopes he does not fail.
“Politics is very interesting in itself. The science and psychology behind it all is interesting, when one person can move people in huge waves like that,” Gillespie said. “Me personally? I don’t know if I’d want to be a politician, but it is interesting.”
George Gillespie, 15, a member of the Westfield Trailblazers for nearly 10 years, was selected as one of 28 teens from throughout Ohio to participate in 4-H’s annual Citizen Washington Focus Jan. 17-21. It was held at the National 4-H Conference Center in nearby Maryland and was the first year the program coincided with a presidential inauguration.
In addition to witnessing the 45th president’s oath of office in person, Gillespie and his nationwide colleagues engaged ahead of time in a number of discussions and problem-solving workshops relative to the processes and branches of government.
“Everyone has different personalities and going there amplified people’s different personalities,” said Gillespie, a Cloverleaf High School sophomore who also plays on the tennis team. “You’re able to learn to work with people, and work with them effectively at that. I think I can take that back to my 4-H group.”
Gillespie’s mother, Heidi, a 4-H advisor herself, tipped him off to the program’s opportunity last summer. Gillespie jumped at the chance to attend, as the presidential campaign was then beginning to heat up.
“When she told me, it was an absolute ‘Of course.’ How do you pass up something like that?” Gillespie said. “When I first found out about it, it was early summer and obviously I didn’t know who was going to win ... it was still up in the air.”
The Ohio delegation – made up of four boys and 24 girls from 13 counties – also visited a number of historic D.C. monuments, as well as the television studio of the local-market NBC affiliate, where Gillespie posed for a quick photo behind the news desk.
Sharing his thoughts on the new president, the teen said he has “seen a lot of passion” from him and hopes he does not fail.
“Politics is very interesting in itself. The science and psychology behind it all is interesting, when one person can move people in huge waves like that,” Gillespie said. “Me personally? I don’t know if I’d want to be a politician, but it is interesting.”