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Letters of Intent
Tuesday, 01 April 2008
After the jump: letters of intent from the current Texas candidates! Governor Candidate:

Evan Rowley:

Members of the Texas Junior State,

The 2008 Fair Elections Committee Handbook describes the position of Governor as “the Chief Executive Officer of the state, responsible for running things and overseeing and taking an active role in planning conventions.” As an active member of the Texas Junior State since 2005, I feel that my leadership abilities, ceaseless dedication, continuous efforts to better the organization, and multitude of past experience within the Junior State qualify me to be Texas JSA Governor for the 2008-2009 year.

In 2005, I came upon JSA at freshman orientation at my school. After talking to a couple of friends who were involved in JSA, I decided that an organization in which I am free to express my political opinions and encouraged to challenge the ideas of others would be the perfect place for my outspoken self. Since then, I have been continuously growing in this organization. 


At Spring State, my freshman year, I came to the realization that I wanted to be actively involved in this organization. I wanted to make a difference. In order to best utilize my talents and abilities, I applied for Cabinet and was appointed to be an Expansion Agent, as well as elected to serve as a Senator for the Alamo Capitol Region for the 2006-2007 year. I quickly realized the area that I feel passionate about in this organization and was changed to the position of Chapter Affairs Agent to have a more hands-on relationship with chapters in the Texas Junior State. Ultimately, these two departments that I served were combined into the Expansion & Chapter Affairs Department (ECAD) that I currently lead as one of the Co-Directors for the 2007-2008 year. Because of my positive involvement in this organization, I was able to serve as a Senate Committee Chair at this year’s Winter Congress, as well as being Clerk in the Full Senate. Current Lieutenant Governor, Katherine Kelley personally appointed me to be her Pro Tempore this year, while past Governor Meredith Morrison saw my potential and invited me to attend Montezuma Leadership Summit in August of 2006. Out of all of the thousands of tax-paid members in JSA, only sixty-two individuals were selected to attend Montezuma Leadership Summit in August of 2006. It is with great pride that I accepted my nomination and was present at what has been described as “JSA’s highest honor.” The leaders at Montezuma talked all about how to make positive changes in the Junior State, as well as effective leadership to help implement these changes. It is this leadership that I am prepared to give to the Texas Junior State.

My consistent involvement in this organization is unquestionable, and therefore I have been a first-hand witness to the strengths and weaknesses of the Texas Junior State. Given my experience within the Junior State of America, I am prepared to take on these inadequacies and strengthen the already booming program that is Texas JSA. I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to serve as your Texas JSA Governor.

Evan Rowley

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_________________________________________________

Governor Candidate:

Sam Liebl:

To my fellow Statesmen,


The presidential race provides a profoundly meaningful background for all that we have done this year in JSA. Through the haze of details, we can pick out a distinct theme in this political frenzy, a recurring fact that we, as a nation, are at a crossroads. In the fascinating way which the Junior State of America mirrors the United States of America, we too, as the Texas State, are at a crossroads. In both cases our choice for leadership is vital; it defines who we are and in what direction we are going.

This year we have witnessed the Texas State make unprecedented progress. At every convention, attendance has broken records. Regional events and mini-conventions have flourished. Chapters, both new and old, continue to bring hundreds of youth into our enduring debate. And yet, there is still much progress to be made.

My experience with JSA began on a plane. Striking up a conversation with the girl seated next to me, I was given an earful of excitement as she told me about her role in the Junior State of America. I had a hunch that she was onto something. Indeed, it has changed my life. Excited by what I heard, I took the idea back to my school in my freshman year. A few months later, two seniors and I founded a chapter at The Woodlands College Park High School, a chapter that now thrives with 38 tax-paid members.

Attending conventions, I saw enormous potential for leadership in the larger organization, and I am grateful that others have seen potential for leadership in me. During this past Spring State Convention, I was elected Senator of the Gulf Coast Region. During the Summer, I spent an amazing three weeks in Washington DC, attending the JSA Summer School at Georgetown. I was honored to be chosen by our current Governor, Milam Miller, to attend the Montezuma Leadership Summit. Soon afterwards, our current Governor, Lt. Governor, and Speaker of the House, appointed me to serve as Co-Chief of Staff, handling everything from convention coordination to conference calls, and overseeing the directors and departments of the Texas Cabinet. While these positions are important, the role I value most is that of Chapter President. As much as I enjoy all aspects of JSA, nothing gives me greater satisfaction than to bring JSA into the lives of my peers, knowing well the impact this organization can have on their lives. As Governor, this will remain my passion as we both expand and strengthen the Texas State,

I have no misperceptions as to the immense weight of responsibility that the Governor of the Texas State must bear. Because I know governors across the country and work so closely with our own Governor, I know the task is not to be taken lightly. The Texas State can be sure that beyond this race I will carry that responsibility, tirelessly going the distance as your Governor.

As I considered whether to run for this most important office, I realized that a candidate for Governor must ask himself a unique question. While all members of JSA at one point ask themselves "Is JSA right for me?" The candidate for governor must instead ask, "Am I right for JSA?" In this subtle change, a critical difference in thinking is made; the organization takes precedence over the individual; the leader serves not himself, but the greater good.  It is only through my experience at all levels of JSA and proven ability to lead, that I confidently answer that question with a yes. I hope that you too will answer with a yes, a yes to experience, a yes to strong leadership, a yes to maintaining the progress we have made this year, and a yes moving the Texas State forward.

My thanks goes out to all those who have supported me thus far.

I look forward to serving you, the members of the Texas State, as your Governor.

Samuel Liebl
The Woodlands College Park High School
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 ________________________________________________

 

Lieutenant Governor Candidate:

Eric Lew: 

 

To the Texas Junior State,

In any good democracy, the leader should care most about his or her people. After all, the people elect the leader and the leader represents the people. With my two, soon to be three, years of experience and eight conventions of memories, ideas, and thoughts, hard work, boundless enthusiasm, and my vision, I am the perfect candidate to be the Lieutenant Governor of the 2008-2009 year for the Texas Junior State.

I have had a deep-seated interest in this organization since my 8th grade year when it was introduced to me by two of my friends, and I have always wanted to be an integral part of JSA since that point forward. My freshman year was spent in awe, just looking at the marvels of the conventions, wondering just how much effort went into this organization to put together something so large for so many people from across such a large and diverse area like Texas. It was then that I learned about the three leadership positions, the regions, and cabinet. I now had the tools and the desire to fulfill my goal. My sophomore year, I served as Treasurer of my chapter, and assisted our current Speaker of the House Joshua Cantor-Stone with his JSA related duties. I attended all three of the conventions that year, making a total of six State conventions worth of experience, plus one regional. At the end of the year, I applied for Cabinet, was chosen to be the Director of Regional Affairs, and was elected Chapter President. It was from here on that I really got to see the behind the scenes of Texas JSA and just what I could do to help make it better.

The summer before my Junior year, I attended The Texas Symposium, during which I saw how amazingly connected all of the graduates held with each other, and decided I wanted to create that togetherness that symposium attendees share with each other within all of the Texas State. Though this sort of plan will require years of work, as Lieutenant Governor, I plan on starting the foundation of unity by making further use of the senators for communication; an idea already started this year. With my tenure as Director of Regional Affairs, I saw that the regions were starting off well, but they lacked a lot of clarity in roles, and duties, and required far more definition than I could give with just one year of work; as Lieutenant Governor I plan on continuing to establish these points and continuing to work with the new Director and Assistant Director of Regional Affairs. I was also invited to attend the Montezuma Leadership Summit of 2007, and I started the year knowing I was respected enough among the leadership to be offered one of JSA’s highest honors.

Throughout this year, I have honed many skills necessary for leadership as a Chapter President, including delegation, planning, and communication between my officers. I believe I can transfer these skills and put them to the best use in the position of Lieutenant Governor by fixing an ever-persistent problem within Texas JSA: communication. Many ideas have been formed this year in order to combat the problem, and with my position, I plan on expanding and creating new ones so as to create an even more effective system than the one in place. On the subject of systems, I was also a member of the State House of Representatives and saw the amendment process of the State-wide Constitution in action, and through watching the process, I have come up with a plan on remedying the issues that were present in our first attempt at an amendment in over 5 years, including making more time available to debate and comment on the proposed amendments.

After spending my first years of JSA studying the organization and this past year implementing my knowledge, I am firm in my belief that I can be an effective Lieutenant Governor. I want to bring this State closer together, and I want to stand up and proudly say, “I have served the people of this organization as Lieutenant Governor for the 2008-2009 school year”.

Eric Lew
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  _________________________________________________

 Candidate for Lieutenant Governor:

 

Darryl Rudd:
 

A wise man once told me, if I do not stand for something, I will fall for anything. My vision for JSA is to not only to stand, but to have everyone stand. My name is Darryl Rudd of Early College High School in Dallas I am running for LT. Governor for the 2008-2009 year. JSA has come a long way to insure the knowledge, and work ethics of the congress of our great nation. We have had a phenomenal cabinet for the 2006-2007 year, and now it is time to pass on the torch to the next generation of people, who will lead JSA to bigger and better things.


 I am not new to the changes and I am not new to the way leadership works. I have a gift of leadership. I have been the Supt. of Sunday school at my church since the sixth grade, and with my leadership, the attendance rate has went from 35% to almost 80%. That says I will keep the legacy of the growing attendance rate for JSA. In the middle of 2006, I started my own business and never had a complaint out of any of my customers, which said that I do what I need to do, when it needs to be done. I have served as the vice president of the JSA chapter at my school, and also served as the president of student government at my middle school. Aside from that, I am also the senator of our school Mountain View College. I am running for this position because I want to be able to hear the people, and allow them to trust in me to fix any problems they have. This will also allow me to get some experience in politics, and by doing this, I will help brighten not only my future, but the future of JSA as well.


The key to leadership is what I hold inside of me, and only a few hold this key. My job for JSA will be to assist the Governor at all times. It’s time for us to stop being against one another, and to start working together to allow JSA to grow to its full potential. I am not here because I want the name to bring honor to me or because i just want to hold the name. I want to be able to look back in my future and say that I helped people who needed me and people believed in my vision,  I am what you are looking for, and what is needed to carry JSA on. If you want to see a bright future, vote for me. THANK YOU AND VOTE FOR DARRYL RUDD FOR LT. GOVERNOR.

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  _________________________________________________

 Speaker of the House Candidate:

Thomas Chapman: 

 

Fellow Texas Junior State members

When I first became a member of JSA three years ago, I was stunned upon learning that it was
completely student-run. How can this be possible? I thought to myself - for all my experience up
to that point had sadly led me to believe that the majority of teenagers were too apathetic to even
care about politics, let alone form and support entirely on their own initiative a nationwide
organization based on debate and mutual education. I have never been so happy to be proven
wrong. It is far too easy, sometimes, to take this fantastic organization for granted, but overall I
never cease to be amazed by the level of commitment JSA members are willing to put forward,
from organizing chapter events all the way up to serving in State Executive Leadership. And
where else but JSA can you see students engaging in such passionate discussion over issues that
may or may not have any bearing on their personal well-being? I only wish that more of the
doubters, more of those who feel that high school students are uninformed or care little about
things that do not directly affect them, could see the example we set at every level of our
organization.

But I feel it is not enough for me to simply appreciate JSA; I want to contribute myself, to give
back to the group that means so much to me. I want to help continue the commendable work done
by this year's executive leadership, but at the same time to go even further, to better the Texas
Junior State in new ways. This is why I have chosen to run for Speaker of the House of the Texas
Junior State.

I have a good deal of experience in multiple areas of the organization. I have a strong grasp of
chapter affairs, having served as both Treasurer and Vice President of my own chapter, Anderson
High School. I served the Alamo Capital Region my sophomore year as a Senator - and was one
of only two Senators to work for the Fair Elections Committee at Spring State - and this year I
attained even more convention experience as Deputy Director in the Logistics Department of the
Texas State Cabinet. Additionally,I have an extensive amount of moderating experience at
multiple conventions.

But it is not so much experience that counts when running for higher offrce in the Texas Junior
State. What counts is a strong love of JSA, a deep desire to maintain and improve the Texas
Junior State in whatever ways are necessary, a willingness to work, dedication to the state, and
the good judgment and common sense that binds all these qualities together. I feel that I possess
these traits and am therefore best qualified for the position of Speaker of the House.
I humbly submit my candidacy for your approval. If elected, I promise that I will do everything in
my power to ensure that the Texas Junior State has its most exciting, most productive, and most
successful year ever.

Sincerelv.
Thomas Chapman
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  _________________________________________________

 Speaker of the House Candidate:

Shakura Goodson 

After attending Texas Symposium 2006 held deep in the heart of Texas is when I became acquainted with the whole idea of the Junior State of America. After receiving the full effect of politics and how they affect the world and new and upcoming generation, is when I knew that JSA would be an organization that I could call home. I loved everything about this organization, from the hardcore differences through debate to the variety of ideas and expressions portrayed through thought talks. I wanted to expose those at my school who shared the same love of politics as I to JSA, but I was reluctant to do so as a result of the lack of knowledge of this particular field that was common among my schoolmates. Luckily, I was the one who took a step for the well- being of the uninformed. The first chapter of the Junior State of America on the campus of David. W. Carter High School was chartered by me. I see so many great things in the future for the Texas JSA, as far as more bonding events , more controversial thought talks and debate topics, diversity in leadership, and so many more. To claim position as Speaker of the House, one has to be confident with all decisions that are made, be a leader and remain as so through all matters and lastly a friend and becoming person with a sociable attitude. I believe I possess all of these qualities and have the ability to plan, instruct, and organize various activities within JSA. As an advocate for change, I believe that JSA would most benefit with me as Speaker of the House. I am ready to take on all responsibilities that come with this position. “SAY IT LOUD; SAY IT PROUD, SHUKURA GOODSON FOR SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.”

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  _________________________________________________

 
 
Katherine Kelley, Lieutenant Governor of Texas JSA 
Questions about elections?

 

 
 
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