Bangor student at leadership conference in Washington

by Nicolas Parasie

WASHINGTON - It was an unusual sight at the Capitol Thursday when about 400 high school students gathered on the floor of the House to question a member of Congress on the war in Iraq, the federal budget and the USA Patriot Act.

The morning session with Rep. John Boozman, R-Ark., before the House convened for the day was one of many events of the National Youth Leadership Conference this week. And Bangor resident Lindsey Snyder was there.

A senior at Bangor High School, Snyder, 17, participated in workshops, listened to several speakers talk about leadership and did some extensive sightseeing. It was her first trip to Washington.

She said she had expected Washington to be much smaller after looking at the map, "but once you get around the Capitol it can be pretty intimidating."

Snyder, was selected on the basis of leadership potential and scholastic merit to spend six days with other student scholars from around the country.

"I am interested in the way government works and how things are run," she said. "I like to know what is going on in the world.," Despite her interest in politics, she does not see herself as pursuing a political career.

"I want to go into elementary education, and I am looking [to teach] younger grades: that is definitely about leadership," Snyder said.

Snyder is seeking a college where she can combine her passion for swimming with a liberal arts education before getting a master's degree in education.

After meeting with staff members of Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Snyder was heading for another sightseeing tour of the Washington memorials before heading to a group gathering. "A very busy, but fun schedule," she said.

One of the workshops was about deciding what' s important in life. For Snyder, it was "swimming, school work, family and friends."

The leadership development program was also an opportunity to get to know likeminded students from other states. "There was this misconception that everyone would be uptight and not wanting to express their opinion, but in truth, everyone is really relaxed," she said.

Snyder said her time in the capital gave her "a better idea of what politicians are doing." She said it was hard to generalize "because they are all different."