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Bridgeport High's Wiltshire and Pinti, Both having Political Aspirations, Inspire Peers to Register to Vote

By Trina Runner on December 18, 2017 via Connect-Bridgeport.com

When it comes to inspiration, Carol Maya Wiltshire needs to look no further than her own family history. As an active member of the Children of the American Revolution, Wiltshire’s ancestor fought alongside George Washington, making it understandable that she has an interest in all things political.
 
“My entire family is very interested in politics and they have raised me to be educated and taught me to use my voice in order to create change,” said Wiltshire, who along with Vincent Pinti, organized a voter registration assembly at Bridgeport High School on December 8.
 
Pinti and Wiltshire attended Inspire West Virginia training at WVU in September in an effort to courage voter registration among their peers.  Ideally, the program aims to have a 100%  voter registration rate for those eligible to vote in the 2018 election.  Bridgeport High School has one of the highest voter registration rates of any school in the Mountain State.
 
“The assembly held at BHS was impressive,” said Harrison County Clerk Susan Thomas.  “The students were very professional and they explained the benefits of voting to their peers and reviewed the process carefully. It was very encouraging to see how many students were enthusiastic about the voting process.”
 
Pinti and Wilshire expressed their interest for initiating the assembly when they were in J.D. Lister’ Advanced Placement Government class last year.  Knowing that Pinti had won the Voice of Democracy contest and Wiltshire was already active in the political arena, Lister nominated the duo to attend the training and organize the assembly.  Joplin Kehrer assisted in the implementation of the assembly as well.
 
“We were able to have a representative from the Secretary of State’s office present as well as Hillary Kinney of Inspire West Virginia.  The Harrison County Clerk, Susan Thomas, was also on hand to answer questions and stress the importance of voting,” said Wiltshire, who plans to major in law after graduating. 
 
Through the Inspire West Virginia program, Wiltshire and Pinti plan to continue educating young people about the impact their vote can make.  Future rallies are planned to encourage voter registration and they also plan to distribute resources to make the process easy for those who register.  Wiltshire will also be competing in the American Legion Oratorical Contest, where she will defend a given topic within the Constitution.
 
“It’s so important for young people to get active in politics,” said Wiltshire.  “We have the power to make positive changes and we are privileged to live in a country that gives us a voice.”


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