Rep. Haddad Invites Students to Testify at State Capitol

Students at Mansfield Middle School will travel to the State Capitol later this month to testify in favor of a minimum wage increase.

Alice Hu, Ethan Oliver and Kevin Sheehan were selected to appear with State Representative Gregory Haddad (D-Mansfield, Chaplin) for their “exceptional" entries in a local essay contest asking students to describe their proposal for a new law or change to a current one.

Haddad made the announcement Friday during a visit to the middle school.

“I thought they were excellent ideas,” Haddad said of the students’ work. “I really wanted to invite you to the Capitol and testify because I thought your essays were excellent,” he said.

Haddad recognized five other students Friday with official citations from the General Assembly. They are as follows:

• Jonas Brown - "Encouraging Bike Paths"

• Maya Barton-Zuckerman - "Different Perspectives on the Pledge of Allegiance"

• Christopher Choi - "Changing the School Year"

• Darius Javidi - "Encouraging Hybrid Cars"

• Charles Schwoerer - "Supporting Transportation Alternatives Through the Gas Tax"

Every student who participated in Haddad’s essay challenge received a letter of thanks.

“You have great ideas,” Haddad told the students.

“As you grow into young adults you have a responsibility to make sure you’re sharing your ideas and your perspectives with legislators,” he said.

“You guys can make a difference if you just speak out and make sure that your voices are heard.”

Click on the attached PDF files above to view the students’ essays on minimum wage. The visit to the Capitol is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 28.