Kids rule!
That phrase can be fun to say, but in some states, it really is true! All 50 U.S. states have an adult governor who leads the state’s government; several states have a kid governor too. Students across Connecticut elected Keudy Martinez to be their newest Kid Governor!
Keudy is a fifth-grade student at H.S. Chase Elementary School in Waterbury, Connecticut. He told News-O-Matic that he plays sports like basketball, football, and soccer. He enjoys watching movies and learning new things at school, and the 11-year-old also likes hanging out with his friends.
But Keudy realized that not everyone has a good time at school or finds making friends easy. “I noticed how schools aren’t safe nowadays,” he said, “and students are getting bullied.” Keudy added, “It’s just not safe, and I wanted to change that.”
An opportunity to make a difference came around when Keudy started fifth grade. His school participates in the Kid Governor program, which invites fifth graders to create a platform for change they want to see in their state. “Last year, I heard a kid in my school was running, and he inspired me to want to run,” Keudy said. “I noticed problems in my community,” he explained, “and I wanted to change it.”
Keudy decided on the platform “Speaking Up for Safe & Happy Schools.” He said he wanted to “make schools safer and better for students and teachers.” To do that, Keudy created a three-point plan.
First, Keudy says students can “help stop bullying by supporting your classmates and reporting unsafe behavior.” He wants students to call out bullying behavior and to let adults know when it is happening. “If you see a friend, or yourself, getting bullied, you just have to speak up,” Keudy said. Then, he added, “tell the teacher or your parents when you get home.”
The second part of Keudy’s plan is to “encourage fifth graders to start awareness groups or clubs in their schools.” He believes students can help make their schools safer by learning more about mental health. “I think it really helps students to feel better about themselves and never doubt themselves, especially if they’re getting bullied,” he explained.
Keudy said the third part of his plan to improve school safety is to “ buddy systems in schools to make sure no one feels alone.” He thinks more friendships could help stop bullying. “Most bullying happens because people don’t know each other — they’re mean,” Keudy explained. “And once they get to know each other,” he added, “they get to see how the other person is feeling — and they just want to change that.”
Keudy knows how important it is to have people to offer support. His teacher, parents, and a good friend named Lina helped him work on his campaign for Kid Governor. And now Keudy has a whole team of students who will support him — his Cabinet.
The Cabinet is made up of six other students who ran for Connecticut’s Kid Governor. Keudy’s cabinet includes Dawson Quijada, Dominic DeVincentis, Khole Wicox, Nava Ekstrand, Ryan Deng, and Warona Sekgoma. The members of that team will help Keudy achieve his goals, and they will work on their own platforms as well. Keudy called them “really nice” and “really supportive.”
The young leaders attended a special ceremony on January 24, 2025, at the Old State House in the capital city of Hartford, Connecticut. Government officials like lawmakers, Hartford’s Mayor Arunan Arulampalam, and Connecticut Supreme Court Justices attended. Connecticut Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas delivered the to each of the fifth-grade students as they started their one-year- . Then Keudy gave a speech and spoke to reporters from local newspapers.
Keudy shared a final message for fellow students: “Never give up, follow your dreams, and always work hard,” he explained. “Good things could happen, as long as you follow your dreams.”
By Hannah Marcum
Updated February 26, 2025, 5:00 P.M. (ET)
