Weekly Column
BIG Update
I hosted my third Level Up Youth Conference this week. More than 250 Aberdeen area high school students joined for conversations on civility in politics, teamwork games and challenges, a keynote from Mitch Reed on sharing kindness, and more.
BIG Update
For years, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has said that sanctuary cities create a public safety threat and are one of the biggest impediments to ICE’s public safety efforts. A sanctuary city’s refusal to cooperate with ICE puts local law enforcement officers in danger.
Working in politics has always been in the back of my mind, but I had never seriously considered it. On June 3, 2024, my window of opportunity opened to work on Capitol Hill. It was my first day as the Ben Reifel intern with Congressman Dusty Johnson. I had never been to Washington, D.C., and I felt like a turtle seeking refuge in its shell. While I didn’t have the slightest idea of what was to come, now at the end of my internship, I can say I met great people and made memories I’ll keep forever.