On Monday, January 6, 2014, I was given the opportunity to participate in a conference call with Governor Markell, along with many other student journalists throughout the state of Delaware. While this call took place over the phone, the Governor streamed a video on the internet of him talking and answering questions. He was located in Dover, Delaware, that day and sat with the Journalism class of Dover High School.  While there were a total of thirty schools on the call, only a handful got to pose their question. Governor Markell’s in depth answers showed his desire to make the young people understand.

One of the major topics of the call was the new education initiatives that the Governor has in mind for Delaware. When Padua got the opportunity to ask our question, we asked what role he envisions private schools playing in these initiatives. Governor Markell stressed the importance of collaboration between all types of schools, and said that school choice is really important. (Parents should be able to have a choice of what type of education they want their children to receive) Other topics discussed included service opportunities, safety in schools, and the workforce of today. One of the discussions that interested me most was the question of whether or not volunteerism was beneficial to the unemployment rate of Delaware.

The call was an amazing opportunity for me, as well as the rest of our future journalists, but the experience was not what I was expecting it to be. I think I would have benefited more from the call if the setting was more intimate or more discussion based. I truly respect Governor Markell, and all that he stands for, and I look forward to seeing the plans that he has for Delaware being put into action.