Tom Kirk had already been active in the political process before his senior year. Well, the mock political process. Freshman year, he joined the KHS-sponsored program, Youth in Government (YIG), and his sophomore and junior year, his proposed bills were signed into law.

“He definitely has played an active role in making laws,” Brynn Davis, senior and YIG member, said. “I guess that showed him what he could do if he really was passionate about something.”

Both Brynn and Tom have been participating in YIG since freshman year, but last year, when Tom heard about the Conference on National Affairs (CONA), what Brynn describes as “YIG on steroids,” he knew he wanted to be a part of it.

“It was described to me as a weeklong program that was the best week of [a former Missouri YIG member’s] life, so I decided I should check it out,” Tom said.

This program, which takes place in Black Mountain, N.C., over the summer, offers students from around the country who participated in their state’s YIG program to meet and propose different types of legislation. Tom participated last summer and has signed up for the upcoming conference in late June.

“The conference can both make you more nervous and really help you with public speaking,” Tom said. “It’s really fun.”

Next year, Tom intends to begin his major in physics, but hopes to continue studying political science. Brynn said his interest in politics is apparent, both with YIG and in the classroom. They are in the same AP Government class, and she said he frequently cites his experiences at CONA during discussions. Tom attributes some of his knowledge to the conference and emphasizes the impact YIG had on his life.

“I understand a lot of issues better than I did before [CONA],” Tom said. “And one of my best decisions in high school was to join YIG. I got so much out of the experience, and I know not everyone does, but for me it did a lot. I encourage as many people at Kirkwood to get involved in YIG because that’s the way you go on to CONA.”