BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. –
Air Force Reservist Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Garcia said she always thought of her daughter, Jordan, as a follower, not a leader. But Jordan surprised her.
Jordan, a sixth grader at Bear River Middle School in Wheatland, Calif., was nominated by her principal, Julie Tyler, to attend the Junior National Young Leader's Conference in Washington, D.C. July 21 - 27, 2007. She was one of six children nominated in her grade, and the only one who will be making the trip.
Jordan claims she didn't do "anything special" to get the nomination - except maintain a high academic average, work on social studies projects with her classmates, and be involved in her community by volunteering at the Salvation Army to build bicycles for needy children, and prepare food baskets for families during the holidays.
According to Principal Tyler there was much more to the nominations than that.
"I sent out a survey to the teachers as to which students they thought would be worthy," the principal said. "That those students were responsible, demonstrated leadership characteristics, were willing to help others, and were conscientious were some of the qualities we were looking for."
After receiving the teachers' nominations, the principal looked at the data on the students for grades, discipline and anecdotal information and made the final selection.
She said Jordan was a very hard worker and high achiever. "She can advocate for herself and has a solid core in deciphering right from wrong," Principal Tyler said. "She is also kind to others and respectful."
The purpose of the conference is to help young scholars develop and sharpen their leadership skills. Youth like Jordan can be empowered to make a positive social impact in their communities and the world by examining U.S. Presidents and their guidance while in office.
The students will be spending a day on Capitol Hill with the nation's lawmakers learning about government. Jordan said she's looking forward to the overnight stay in Harper's Ferry, W.Va., site of the infamous raid in 1859 by abolitionist John Brown, but she also wants to see the monuments and other sights of Washington, D.C.
Jordan feels her best leadership ability is "to share my ideas, and combine everybody's ideas to make them one."
Thinking about what social impact she would most like to have, she said, "I would like to fix the roads, there are so many potholes."
Across the U. S., only about 250 students will be participating in this conference in the nation's capital, and each one must raise the funds to pay for the six day trip.
Sergeant Garcia, a San Francisco native who is an aircraft mechanic with the 940th Maintenance Group at Beale AFB, supported Jordan's idea of holding bake sales and car washes to raise the money needed for the conference. Ms. Nicole at the Beale Youth Center organized these events.
Sergeant Garcia said Jordan's entire softball team turned out to help wash cars. "Her younger brothers and I helped wash cars - a lot of them - and also helped eat the donated baked goods," she said, grinning.
Jordan also made a public service announcement at local radio station, SUNNY 101.5. The station let her broadcast her fund raisers and her reason for organizing them in the hopes that they could help bring her closer to her goal of attending the conference.
"The first time we all heard the announcement, we went, 'Hey, that's Jordan!" Sergeant Garcia said. "Now she just laughs and shakes her head when she hears herself."
With one more bake sale and carwash to go before the trip, Sergeant Garcia said that people had heard Jordan on the radio, and had come out to show their support.
"They have been very generous and helped a lot," she said. They have raised about one third of the money for their goal.
Jordan's aspirations for her future do not include a career in government, but go in a more creative direction. She said she wants to pursue being an artist, and that she loves to draw.
And what does Sergeant Garcia most want Jordan to bring back from her experiences, and trip to Washington, D.C.?
"I want a good souvenir," she said, smiling.