I have the good fortune to cover the school board beat. And sure, sometimes that means attending long meetings on the minutiae of district data processing.
But more often, it gives me a glimpse of our region’s students — the people who are aptly called youth leaders in Nome and the surrounding communities. And they impress me time and time again.
At a recent youth retreat in Unalakleet, I sat in on student workshops covering suicide prevention, gender dynamics, racial representation, and school culture. All weighty, complex topics that give most adults a tough time. All topics that I find tricky to cover in my reporting.
But throughout the weekend, no matter the subject, I saw youth leaders dive into discussions with great intelligence and care.
They asked thoughtful questions. They shared personal stories. And they always seemed to have fun doing it — making new friends from different schools, and then supporting their peers through every icebreaker and share circle.
It was a wonderful reminder that while there are challenges in our communities, we’re working through them — with each generation bringing new insight.
After so many years of being told that I’m young and full of potential, it’s a little strange to be the person reporting on schools instead of attending them.
But it’s also really interesting — and important, I think — to realize that the adults in charge don’t always have it figured out. That I’m now an adult — allegedly — and I can still learn a lot from the youth leaders of our region.
So I look forward to doing just that for the rest of my time on the education beat. Whether it’s joining the students of Golovin for their morning assembly or following the Nome-Beltz Nanooks as they compete at state, I can’t wait to see — and share — all that the youth leaders contribute to our communities.
