The president commands a country, mayors are in charge of a city, and governors are the leaders of a state. In the United States, each state has a governor who serves as the leader. Some states also have a kid leader. In Oregon, young voters elected Rosie Lanenga to serve that job. She’s Oregon’s Kid Governor for 2025!
Rosie Lanenga is a fifth-grade student at Riverdale Grade School in Portland, Oregon. She applied to the Kid Governor program by sending in a video in which she talked about her issue, “Addressing in Our Communities.” Thousands of fifth graders in Oregon watched Rosie’s video, as well as the videos for six other candidates. Then they voted to choose their Kid Governor — and Rosie won!
In November 2024, Rosie wondered why Deputy Secretary of State Cheryl Myers was at a Riverdale school assembly with Rosie’s teachers, classmates, and parents. Then Myers announced that Rosie had been chosen as Kid Governor. “It’s that feeling when you’re floating as you’re walking almost, you’re just so happy,” Rosie told News-O-Matic about getting the news.
Rosie began her one-year term as Oregon’s 8th Kid Governor on January 16, 2025. She and her family took a tour of the State and attended a ceremony at the State Capitol in Salem, Oregon. Top officials like Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read and former Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court Paul De Muniz spoke at the event. Rosie stood up with her family to take an oath to do her job well. Then, she made a speech about the issue that was the center of her campaign: climate change.
Rosie enjoys exploring the natural areas of Oregon. She said she loves Lost Lake and Mount Hood — the tallest point in the state. And she has spent time on the coast by the Pacific Ocean. The fifth grader called Oregon “positively beautiful.” And the 11-year-old says she wants to keep it that way! That’s why she came up with a three-point plan to take action — and it’s called “A.C.T.”
“The ‘A’ stands for acting in your home,” explained Rosie in her speech at the State Capitol. One of the actions is composting, which is turning matter like food and garden waste into soil. Rosie also suggested “turning off lights when you’re not using them, planting seeds, or riding your bike instead of driving your car.” The “C” in “A.C.T.” stands for students working with their class to come up with other ideas to reduce the effects of climate change. And Rosie explained that the “T” means taking time to share knowledge with others so they can also know how to help.
Of course, no leader can change the world alone. There are six members of Rosie’s Cabinet — a group of young leaders formed from the other candidates for Oregon’s Kid Governor. Fifth graders Desmond, Jordyn, Ryker, Saanvi, Syon, and Teegan also took their oaths at the State Capitol on January 16 to support the fifth graders and students of Oregon. Each of them will work on his or her own campaign issue — like preventing bullying or mental illness — as well as work with Rosie to address climate change.
During her year as Kid Governor, Rosie said she hopes to spread awareness about climate change. “I plan to for climate-resistant buildings,” she said. Those are buildings made to handle extreme weather conditions like wildfires or heat waves. “That way children can still be able to learn and develop — even though climate change is happening,” Rosie explained. And she is going to work on an Earth Day celebration to take place in a Portland park in April!
Rosie has advice for other young people, whether they’re interested in leadership or not. “Everybody has a voice,” she said. “It’s your choice to share it. Your voice matters!”
By Diana Richard
Updated February 12, 2025, 5:00 P.M. (ET)
