Local teen garners political clout

Not only popular, Rucker is important. She will work with six other student governors across the nation to organize and develop non-partisan student programs concerning politics and government.

Rucker said she first became involved in JSA because it is an organization dedicated to educating students and providing so many great opportunities.

"I was absolutely thrilled [in being elected Governor] the whole process was amazing," she said. "It taught me so many different things, it really makes you evaluate who you are and what you believe in."

Rucker was responsible for raising money for her own campaign, which was capped at $200. During her campaign she spent time touring around the region and giving speeches to the many students who would be voting for her.

Rucker said her two largest goals for this year are to expand JSA and improve and increase communication within the organization.

"The more [accessible] we can be in schools the better it will be for us and better for the schools," Rucker said. "We want to allow every student to be involved in politics."

The Northern California chapter currently brings in the most money and the most people. Rucker is interested in making sure all schools will have chapters and access to the JSA.

"We can't be an organization when we're excluding people who need to be heard," Rucker said. "We want JSA to be politics without the politics. In American politics the wealthy upper-class are always the ones who are heard, we don't want that to be a reality in JSA."

The Junior Statesmen Foundation (JSF), the adult-run umbrella organization for JSA, has been in existence since 1934 and was started locally on the Peninsula. It is now a national program with more than 500 chapters nationwide. The national headquarters is stationed here in San Mateo and all the local high schools have chapters of the JSA.

Rucker represented Northern California this summer at the Georgetown Junior Statesmen Summer School in Washington, D.C. She also interned for San Mateo County Supervisor Rose Jacobson.

The one million dollars she will manage is the budget for all the student organizations nationwide, Executive Director of JSF, Richard Prosser said.

"This is quite a responsibility for a student," Prosser said.

She is also preparing for two upcoming conventions. On Oct. 28 she will participate in a conference at Stanford with 200 to 300 other students to discuss the Nov. 7 election.

And she is organizing a convention for more than 1200 students and teachers from all over Northern California on Nov. 18 and 19 in Santa Clara.

Rucker appoints about 60 students to her cabinet from throughout Northern California who will help her organize this conference. Rucker will serve as Governor until June.

The JSF organizes various debates on current issues and provides students with non-partisan political information.

Prosser said a professional staff works with the students to help organize and put on educational programs.

"Students take responsibility for educating peers in politics and government," Prosser said. "It has a special impact if it is student-to-student dialogue."

The JSF/JSA is a charitable organization and receives its funding from contributions by individuals and corporations.

Prosser said many of the students involved in JSA go into politics. Successful alumni of JSA include Assemblyperson Ted Lempert, who was involved in JSA at Aragon High School and was also Northern California Governor, Joe Simitian, Democratic candidate for assembly person, and Mike McCurry, President Clinton's press secretary.

Rucker will attend school in the fall most likely at one of the campuses of the University of California. She said she plans to get involved in either law or politics, and she is particularly interested in activism law.

>