Third Graders Learn About Citizenship From Secretary Of State

By Tanjua Damon

Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz spent time with Middle Gate School third graders discussing how important it is to be a good citizen and what they can do to achieve that.

Ms Bysiewicz told the students she is the mother of three children and that she works long hours as the secretary of state. She explained to the students that John Rowland is the governor, Jodie Rell is the lieutenant governor, Richard Blumenthal is the attorney general, Denise Napier is the treasurer, and Nancy Wyman is the controller.

“Four out of the six people who are elected to statewide officers are women,” Ms Bysiewicz said.

She asked the students how many of the 50 states had women governors?

“Five are women,” she said.

She inquired how many of the 100 senators, two from each state, are women.

“Thirteen are women,” she said.

“We have never had a women president,” Ms Bysiewicz said. “Many presidents were governors first.”

Connecticut was the first state in history to have a woman governor in 1975, Ella Grasso.

Ms Bysiewicz talked to the students about what takes place at the state capitol in Hartford. She told the third graders that legislators go to the capitol to make laws and decisions for the entire state.

She told the students that legislators are able to do that because people vote them into office. The students learned that elections take place in November and they have to be 18 years old to vote.

She also explained to the students that those who serve in the nations Armed Forces allow people in the United States to have freedoms through rights such as the freedom of speech, religion, public education, and democracy.

“Every time we have the opportunity to vote, we get to say thank you to those who put their lives on the line,” Ms Bysiewicz said.

The students learned that each day Ms Bysiewicz received 1,500 documents in the mail and that she signs her name to many official documents each day. She has a staff of about 100 people.

“It’s always the highlight of my day or week when I get to go to schools and talk with students, especially in elementary schools,” she said. “Some days are easier than others. The hardest thing about my job is I get so many invitations. It is always difficult to chose because I can’t do everything I’m asked to do.”

The students were also able to see on the Internet state symbols for the birds, insect, shellfish, rock, tree, and fish. Ms Bysiewicz told the students that the state’s hero is Nathan Hale and the Heroin is Prudance Crandall.