MADISON – Two St. Joseph Catholic School juniors were elected to the top two leadership spots at the Mississippi Youth and Government 2014 Youth Legislature held Nov. 19-21. Benjamin Payne ran unopposed for governor, while Noah Greene won a two-person race for lieutenant governor. This is the first time that St. Joe students have won and will serve in the top two Youth Legislature leadership positions at the same time.
“This is a great and notable achievement for two outstanding students,” St. Joe Principal Keith Barnes said. “To win the top two elected positions – one unopposed – says a lot about Ben’s and Noah’s leadership skills and their ability to get things done. It also says a lot about the quality of students we have here at St. Joe.”
During the three-day conference, high school students from across the state proposed, debated and voted on legislation in a mock legislative session that took place in the Old Capitol, the War Memorial building and the Marriott in downtown Jackson.
Payne and Greene led a 27-member delegation from St. Joe that attended Youth Legislature this year. Payne and Greene will preside as governor and lieutenant governor over the Junior Youth Assembly in spring 2015 and over Youth Legislature in fall 2015. Junior Youth Assembly is for sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth graders; Youth Legislature is for high school students.