Usually, Guilford County Board of Commissioners’ meetings don’t have a star, however, at the last meeting of the board, on Thursday, Sept. 1, the star was a 16-year-old student named Riley Robinson.
In fact, Robinson was supposed to even sit at the dais with the county commissioners – however, some last minute stage fright meant that instead she sat with Clerk to the Board Robin Keller rather than with the commissioners who are shown on television.
Robinson is a student at Southwest Guilford High School and she contacted the county because she was interested in county government. She decided to “shadow” Guilford County Commissioner Carlvena Foster for a day, to find out how local government worked – and that meant that she would also show up at the September 1 meeting.
Her presence was greatly appreciated by others at the meeting.
Guilford County Manager Mike Halford said it was delightful to see a youngster interested in county government. He said that doesn’t happen often enough.
Robinson said after the meeting that she had an interest in local government and perhaps would run for office one day,
Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Skip Alston told her that, when he was her age, he decided that he wanted to be president of the United States.
Keller said it was very encouraging to have someone that age so interested in learning the ropes of county government. Keller said that, before the pandemic there would occasionally be a student working on a project who would ask some questions or come down for a visit, but it was rare to have a student shadow a commissioner and staff for a day.
Bully for Riley Robinson. A dim light in the darkness.
And thank heaven above Slippery Skip never made it to Washington!
It is encouraging that any young person would want to work for the government in an effort to make things better. Good luck to you Riley!