Buckeye Valley junior Kate Vonderwell sits in downtown Columbus during the kickoff event of the Ohio Attorney General’s Teen Ambassador Board for the 2023-2024 school year.
Courtesy photo | Stephanie Vonderwell
A Buckeye Valley High School student who recently began serving on the Ohio Attorney General’s Teen Ambassador Board said she’s excited for the up-close view of government.
According to the Ohio Attorney General’s website, the mission of the Teen Ambassador Board is to “provide Ohio’s future leaders with an inside look at Ohio law and government.” The board consists of high school students from around the state, and members serve a one-year term and convene twice in Columbus during their tenure on the board.
Kate Vonderwell, a junior at BVHS, said she had to submit an application and letter of recommendation earlier this year during the selection process and applied because she wants to be involved.
“The application outlined why I wanted to join the group, the activities, employment, volunteer work, and athletics I am involved in, examples of my ability to identify and solve problems, and issues facing Ohio teens that I would like to help address,” Vonderwell said. “A few weeks later I found out I was selected.”
Vonderwell said she joined because she sought to learn more about current issues, “especially ones that impact Ohio teens” and wanted to apply lessons she learned last summer during an American government course she took through Columbus State Community College.
“I wanted to see how I could apply some concepts from that course in a first-hand way,” Vonderwell said. “I am looking forward to meeting people my age from across Ohio who also are excited to find solutions to problems affecting teens. It will also be nice to hear perspectives from other parts of the state and share my thoughts as well.”
Last month, Vonderwell attended the Teen Ambassador Board kickoff event at the Rhodes State Office Tower in Columbus on Sept. 18. At the event, ambassadors got to meet each other as well as Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and listen to several presentations and guest speakers from the state. The ambassadors also got to sit in on a press conference given by Yost.
“The kickoff event was very exciting,” Vonderwell said. “It’s like nothing I have done before. After I got home, I looked up the press conference and watched it. It was fascinating to me to know that I was in the room at the time of that press conference.”
Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.
