Senior Spotlight: Cassidy Hayden, Animas High School
Stay tuned for additional spotlights coming in the May and June issues of MOVE.
Cassidy Hayden, Senior, Animas High School
What specific skills or knowledge did you acquire as a Charter Champion that you find most valuable?
Advocacy training was particularly valuable for me because it expanded my knowledge of charter schools. I've been attending a charter school for four years, but it took until I became a charter champion for me to understand how they work.
Learning about the fundamentals of charter schools, how they differ from typical public schools, where their funding comes from, and what makes them unique was incredibly interesting to me. Aside from learning about my own school, I also learned general skills about advocacy. After seeing the power of advocacy at Advocacy Day up in Denver, it struck me just how important knowing how to speak up for yourself and your causes is.
What are your next plans, and how do you envision your role as a leader evolving in that setting?
In August, I'm moving all the way to Worcester, Massachusetts, to attend Clark University as a political science major. Politics has been a huge part of my life for a few years. I've been involved in recent local and national elections and state-level politics, and I'm excited to take the political involvement I've found in Durango to Worcester. I see myself continuing to be involved in local politics. Whether that is as a member of a political organization or something else, I can't picture my life without political involvement.
Are there particular causes or issues within your community or beyond that you feel passionate about championing using the tools you've gained?
Within my community, there are a lot of different issues that I feel passionate about. On Charter School Advocacy Day, I used my advocacy skills to talk to my state representative, Cleave Simpson, about a specific bill I cared about. This was CO Senate Bill 1, which was concerning the creation of the Colorado Voting Rights Act. While Senator Simpson and I did not share the same opinion on this piece of legislation, I still had the opportunity to use the advocacy skills I learned as a charter champion.
What advice would you offer to students considering participation in the Charter Champions program?
Consider the different skills you'll learn in this program; they're not just applicable to your experience in a charter school. The skills you gain here will serve you well no matter what you end up doing in life.
