A capital opportunity
Bolotte goes to Tallahassee and meets government officials
A trip to the capital to see the political banter can be one of the most eye-opening opportunities in the political community.
Sophomore Zac Bolotte was sent to Tallahassee March 16 -23 and given the opportunity to be a messenger of the capital. He found out about the legislative sessions when he met Lake Mary mayor David Mealor through golf, and Mealor told him more about the opportunity. Rep. Jason Brodeur, received many applications for the position, but he chose Bolotte for the weeklong event. The state of Florida has 120 representatives and each one was able to choose one student .
“He [Mealor] mentioned to me that something he did when he was younger was become a ‘messenger for the Florida House,’ so I applied. Then I met Mr. Brodeur who was able to get me in to spend the week in Tallahasse,” Bolotte said.
Between meeting many politicians and seeing the behind the scenes of official buildings, the trip had many lessons. For five days, Bolotte was in the capital building and gained insight on the many positions. With the help of Brodeur, he was given a weeklong trip to see what most people would not.
“Not only did I get to meet a lot of people, but I also got to sit on many different viewpoints and see how the political process works,” Bolotte said.
Although he enjoyed his trip, Bolotte does not see himself taking on a position in the state legislature. Bolotte would prefer being at the national level, if he were to pursue a career as a senator.
“There are different positions I saw as well that weren’t necessarily for the government, like lobbying and positions that interested me while I was there,” Bolotte said.
Taking on all of the different opinions of people can get overwhelming, but for Bolotte it made him more educated about the political process, improving his insight for the argument as a member of the debate team.
“The most difficult part was trying to understand everyone’s way of thinking. There [are] a lot of debates going on and there is not necessarily a right answer to any of it,” Bolotte said.
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