Sarah Mills attends national leaders conference in Washington, D.C.
Mary Margaret Moorhead - Staff Writer

Learning more about national government and getting to meet teens from all over the United States were among the benefits Sarah Mills, a student at Milan High School, received from the National Young Leaders Conference from June 14-24 in Washington, D.C.

The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Covell Mills of SR 101, Dillsboro, Sarah participated in this unique leadership development program because Mr. Todd Yates, her social studies teacher, nominated her for it. Participants are chosen on the basis of scholastic average, community involvement, and leadership contributions.

The first to attend the NYLC from Milan, Sarah completed her sophomore year with a GPA of 4.0 and is active in several clubs and organizations at Milan High School. A member of the Dillsboro Lutheran Church, she is active in their youth league.

Included in the 10-day program were simulations of issues that face our national leaders, face-to-face meetings with members of Congress or their staff, and the opportunity to become better equipped to address the challenging issues facing communities around the world.

"I really liked our day on Capitol Hill," Sarah says as she describes her activities during the conference. Although she was not able to meet with Senator Richard Lugar, she did get to visit Senator Evan Bayh in his office and to meet with Congressman Baron Hill's staff.

Sarah explains that it was difficult to visit with congressmen and government leaders because many had attended services for former President Ronald Reagan, and their work was backlogged.

During the conference, the 400 youth broke into groups of 20 so that each group would have the opportunity to elect a president, a vice president, secretary of state, press secretary, and chief of staff. "Everyone had a role," Sarah explains. "I was the Undersecretary of the Treasury for International Affairs."

As part of their preparation for the various simulations, the participants had books to read and problems to solve. One simulation dealt with a crisis in the Congo. "I wasn't uncomfortable having to share my view. We were all in the same shoes."

The largest simulation, according to Sarah, was interacting as a "model Congress" with three bills to pass - from committee to the floor. During this simulation Sarah was a lobbyist for the Democratic Caucus.

"It was stressful trying to get your bills passed," Sarah reflects. "All of us were involved."

Of the three bills Sarah's group worked on, two didn't get out of committee, and the third one with all its amendments and exceptions didn't pass.

U.S. Representative Jo Bonner of Alabama welcomed the students to the floor of the House of Representatives, an honor usually reserved for members of Congress and their special guests. Here they heard an address about life's purposes, the freedoms we enjoy in the United States, and the great challenges facing the country in the next five years.

"These challenges will require your involvement," Bonner told the students. "The greatest privilege and obligation is the right to vote. If you do nothing more for your country, you should at least exercise your right to vote wisely."

Sarah flew from Indianapolis to Washington, D.C. and stayed with the other conference participants in the
Sheraton Premiere Hotel. Her roommates were from Arizona and Oklahoma, and since the conference she has been keeping in touch with them through calls and e-mail.

"It was neat getting to know them and learning their way of life. Rachel, who is from Arizona, lives on an Indian reservation. Joli is the one from Oklahoma."

Because leadership goes beyond what happens on Capitol Hill, Sarah and the other participants had the opportunity to interact with a panel of renowned journalists from the Washington, D.C. press corps. These included Eleanor Clift of Newsweek, John Diamond, USA Today, Jonathan Karl, ABC News, and April Ryan, American Urban Radio Network.

Sightseeing trips that took members of the group to the Washington Cathedral, the new World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Korean Memorial, and many others were highlights for Sarah, who took lots of pictures and has already made an album of her trip.

In assessing the value of the conference and the 10 days spent in Washington, D.C., Sarah says that her mother told her not long after her arrival home that she seemed more confident. "I feel that the experience has taught me to share my opinions with others and to listen to theirs. It was a great learning experience; they kept us so busy, and I had so much fun."

Sarah Mills shows photographs of trip.