By Serena Andria

Think! Speak! Act! That’s basically the gist of politics. Luckily, two high school students, Anna Moriarty and Stella Lovelady, were given the opportunity to travel to the state Capitol for a day and follow around Senator Heather Carter to see her everyday busy schedule.

Anna thought it “was nerve wracking” to walk into a room full of politicians and discuss important topics, but was surprised at the casual and friendly atmosphere. Watching Sen. Carter talk to stakeholders in the community about a string of homelessness bills was an intriguing experience for Stella and gave her a “deeper understanding of how the government works.”

Anna unexpectedly learned that figuring out problems in politics takes time and can’t be done overnight. Anna’s favorite part of the trip was seeing the bills being talked about for each district while Stella’s favorite part was watching how Sen. Carter collected feedback and organized ideas.

They were both surprised at how hard it was to create and pass a bill and realized a lot of them just never make it through the process. While they were there, a bill was in the process of being passed on how a patient can be treated from the hospital after they’ve been discharged, and it’s currently still in the works.

Neither of the girls have any set plans to go back, but they’re both excited for when they do!