Senior Vanessa Pierucci was nominated to attend the annual National Young Leaders’ Conference in Washington D.C. She was one out of 404 students from across the country to be chosen to attend this conference. The conference was “very informative”, according to Pierucci, and “is proof that our government system works”.

In order to receive this honor a student must have very good scholastic merit, community involvement, and contributions to leadership. The leaders of the conference use these guidelines to choose the best students from around the country. Pierucci had to be able to work through everyday issues that face our country today.

Through a series of mock trials and government situations Pierucci was able to see how many of the government officials work. “There was a lot to prepare for; I think it was neat to be in government officials shoes for a week,” said Pierucci.

Pierucci was involved in a mock trial of the Supreme Court case Gratz vs. Bollinger that was a test of America’s constitution. Although on the losing side Pierucci enjoyed preparing a case for the trial. “Taking on the role of a respondent in one night was hard but I enjoyed it in the end,” says Pierucci.

The students also were able to sit in the House of Representatives which is something that is usually only allowed for people of Congress and their special guest. “It was an honor to be in the same room as the president was when he gave his State of the Union,” says Pierucci. The students filled the room and listened to the many speakers of the trip.

Along with the other 403 students, Pierucci was able to talk with TV and radio Journalist from all over the media. Such as USA Today, The Washington Post, and a few more. The students were able to ask questions about today’s politics and issues with political controversy. Pierucci found it fascinating to talk with people who can publish their views worldwide.

“I had a fantastic time and it was a great experience meeting new people and learning new things”, says Pierucci. She enjoyed meeting the people with different accents and found it hard getting used to the new time schedule. This was a great honor for a RHS student to attend and Pierucci appreciated that opportunity.