One of the highlights of my travels across South Dakota is the opportunity to visit schools and meet young people. It’s refreshing to see their engagement with the important issues facing our country and hear about their dreams for their own future and for our country’s future.
In just the last few weeks I’ve spoken to high school students in McLaughlin, Winner, and Summit. I had the chance to share what I do as a senator and answer their questions about current events, my job, and issues that are important to them. I visited the University of South Dakota and made a trip to Northern State University for Gypsy Days. I even had the chance to talk to some inquisitive fourth graders in Burke and join them for a game of four square.
These visits always remind me of what I love about South Dakota. We’re a state of small towns and big hearts, and I know I can count on a warm welcome and some tough questions from well-informed students who care about their community and country.
They also bring back memories of my own school years in Murdo. I feel very blessed to have attended a small school, where I got to try a lot of different things. I played football and basketball and ran track. I took piano lessons, sang in the swing choir, and I even played the sousaphone in the band. I may not be using these skills directly as a U.S. senator, but each of these experiences surely taught me lessons that I apply every day.
My high school years also introduced me to some formative people in my life, people like my English teacher Margie Peters, Coach Jerry Applebee, and Jim Abdnor. They were incredibly influential in shaping my life, solidifying my values and work ethic, and opening doors for me.
Mrs. Peters, Coach App, and Jim all showed me how to be a difference-maker by how they lived, and they certainly made a difference in my life. When I visit a classroom, I always tell young people, whatever you do, be a difference-maker; be willing to serve causes greater than yourselves because when everything else has faded away, your character and what you’ve done to make the world around you better is all that’s left.
I’m proud that as a U.S. senator, I’m able to offer students opportunities to be difference-makers. High schoolers can strive to earn the Congressional Award, which recognizes students who achieve goals in volunteering, personal development, fitness, and exploration. Juniors in high school may also serve as pages in the U.S. Senate, assisting in the legislative process and getting a hands-on civics education for a semester. And, it’s a privilege to be able to nominate South Dakotans to attend a military academy and serve our country in the Armed Forces.
Whenever I leave a school visit, I have a renewed optimism for the future of our country, and it’s great to see the next generation embodying the South Dakota values that make our state such a great place to live. I hope they will carry these values wherever life takes them.