Good evening!
I wanted to share a major accomplishment completed by Kayleigh Johnson the past two weeks. I may be partial since she is my daughter, but I wanted to share this since this has such an impact on Carroll County in how she represented our hometown of Hillsville.
Kayleigh went through an extensive application process and was one of 33 students accepted in the Sorenson Institute’s High School Leaders Program (HSLP) that was held July 13th through 27th at the University of Virginia. She was one of only two who represented Southwest Virginia, with the other participants primarily coming from Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Tidewater.
The HSLP is designed to engage students in public policy challenges facing the Commonwealth and prepares them for civic leadership. It also aims to help students become advocates in their communities and schools through a curriculum that offers practical skills and political knowledge. During the two weeks there, Kayleigh heard from speakers such as representatives from the Attorney General’s Office, Secretary of Transportation’s Office, and others that impact our state government. She also had the opportunity to travel to Richmond to tour the Capitol and Governor’s Mansion. She was assigned to play the role of a Senator in a simulation of a General Assembly session where they created and passed a state budget bill. Additionally, she participated in a Constitutional Convention where legislative concepts were developed that will eventually be brought up in the Virginia General Assembly. She also worked to create a policy that will be presented in the General Assembly related to cover crops reducing run off in agriculture applications.
The biggest accomplishment that Kayleigh had during her two weeks there was her representation of Carroll County and Southwest Virginia. There is no doubt that she left an indelible mark for Southwest Virginia; her fellow classmate, in her address to the cohort, specifically mentioned Kayleigh for making her realize that there’s much more to our great Commonwealth than she knew from her “Richmond bubble.” I’m blown away at the number of her classmates that want to come visit Carroll County to see how great it is after spending two weeks with Kayleigh. Specifically, after her classmates discovered that Kayleigh is the 2024 Miss Carroll County Ag Fair, many of them want to come and visit our fair since the idea of a community fair like ours is so foreign to them. On LinkedIn, one program leader wrote that Kayleigh was a “bold champion for SWVA,” a “fierce advocate for her community,” and that she was “incredibly grateful for the ways she challenged her classmates’ perception of rural Virginia.” Matt Hall from the AG’s Office commented that he was “so thankful that Carroll County is being represented so well.” Describing his interaction with Kayleigh, a staffer from the Governor’s Mansion wrote that “the future is in good hands.”
To witness firsthand the impact Kayleigh had on changing her classmates’ views – and even those of the adults – of Southwest Virginia was incredible.
At the graduation ceremony on Saturday, Kayleigh was one of two students that was presented the 2024 HSLP Spirit of Citizenship Award. This award summed up Kayleigh by stating that the HSLP “was made better by her presence at every turn.”
Again, I wanted to share this with you all because not only is this an incredible accomplishment for Kayleigh, but also because of the impact she made during these two weeks on many people’s perceptions of Carroll County and all of Southwest Virginia.
Billy J. Johnson
Thank you Mr. Johnson for sharing such an uplifting story with us !
Kayleigh Johnson is a shining star 🌟 on the rise ! Please keep up your wonderful journey 🙏…
A.S.P.N on The Hill 