At the age of 3, when Jared Jolton took it upon himself to donate his lunch to a homeless man who sat near his preschool, his mother knew he had the compassion and initiative that would make him a great leader.
Now, as an eighth-grade student at Colorado Academy in Denver, Jolton will represent middle school students from across Colorado when he attends the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Jolton is one of two Presidential Winners in the “Write to Lead” youth essay contest organized by the Democratic National Convention Committee, Post-News Educational Services and Qwest Communications.
The other winner, representing Colorado high school students, is 11th-grader Mari Tanabe of Manitou Springs.
Fifty-four other middle and high school students from Colorado were finalists in the contest and will serve as ambassadors to state and territorial delegations during the convention along with Jolton and Tanabe.
Judges said Jolton’s essay, “In Front of the Pack,” best captured the spirit of this year’s historic election because it emphasizes leadership based on diverse points of view.
“I don’t just boss around people, but I direct them to their skills or talents,” Jolton said. “I listen to what everyone has to say, and then, I decide for the group.”
Jolton’s experiences in leadership, most notably in his worldwide service project, which donated 10,000 pairs of soccer shin guards to Third World countries, and his deep interest in politics, led Jolton to participate in the “Write to Lead” contest.
“I think it’s a gift he’s always had,” said Jill Jolton, his mother. “He’s a thinker and an actor, and he is able to inspire adults to get behind him.”
Anna Haislip: 303-954-1638 or ahaislip@denverpost.com
Write To Lead finalists
Student Name, Grade, City, School, Delegation
Maggie Abrams, 9, Highlands Ranch, Highlands Ranch High School, Indiana
Stephanie Ahlgrain, 11, Westminster, Northglenn High School, West Virginia
Cedric Alston, 11, Golden, Lookout Mountain Academy, North Dakota
Katie Armstrong, 8, Greenwood Village, Cherry Creek West Middle School, Ohio
Summer Baker, 7, Divide, Woodland Park Middle School, Wyoming
Alexander Bashan, 9, Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Springs High School, South Dakota
Uyanga Battugla, 6, Denver, Denver School of Arts, Idaho
Clara Benioff, 6, Golden, Red Rocks Elementary School, Iowa
Ari Bloom, 11, Englewood, Cherry Creek High School, Nebraska
Taylor Brough, 8, Denver, Denver School of Arts, Delaware
Sara Campbell, 8, Northglenn, Hulstrom Options School, Oregon
Tyler Casteel, 11, Littleton, JK Mullen High School, Massachusetts
Samuel Clark, 9, Denver, George Washington High School, US Virgin Islands
Zachary Copeland, 6, Fleming, Fleming School, Virginia
Cole Davis, 8, Centennial, Cherry Creek West Middle School, Tennessee
Kayleigh Esswein, 9, Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Springs High School, Rhode Island
Carly Fox, 9, Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Springs High School, American Samoa
Kevin Gower, 9, Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Springs High School, Vermont
Kyle Hanson, 10, Littleton, Heritage High School, Colorado
Ari Helland, 9, Thornton, York International, California
Zuri House, 11, Denver, East High School, Maryland
Jared Jolton, 8, Lakewood, Colorado Academy, Oklahoma
Louisa Kennedy, 7, Golden, The Manning School, Kentucky
Jacqueline Kimmell, 7, Denver, The Logan School for Creative Learning, Democrats Abroad
Conner Lamden, 6, Morrison, Red Rocks Elementary School, Maine
Eleanor Lindberg, 6, Denver, Slavens School, Missouri
Shay Longtain, 11, Louisville, Peak to Peak Charter School, Illinois
Alyssa Miller, 8, Englewood, Colorado Academy, Arkansas
Blake Miller, 8, Centennial, Horizon Community Middle School, Puerto Rico
Hannah Milner, 7, Arvada, Shaw Heights Middle School, Utah
Jack Moore, 8, Greenwood Village, Cherry Creek West Middle School, Louisiana
Erin Mross, 10, Fort Collins, Poudre High School, Washington
Emma Mulligan, 6, Boulder, Manhattan Middle School of Arts & Academics, New Mexico
Julia Nass, 9, Durango, Durango High School, New Jersey
Jordyn Osenbaugh, 8, Thornton, Stargate Charter School, North Carolina
Philip Pang, 7, Thornton, Stargate Charter School, Guam
Matthew Peterson, 9, Littleton, Lakewood High School, South Carolina
Grace Powler, 7, Niwot, Boulder Country Day School, Kansas
Benjamin Raderstorf, 10, Boulder, Boulder High School, Nevada
Michael Robinson, 6, Highlands Ranch, Cougar Run Elementary School, Minnesota
Erin Ryan, 10, Littleton, Heritage High School, Mississippi
Marc Sallinger, 7, Denver, The Manning School, New York
Melanie Schumacher, 8, Thornton, Stargate Charter School, Alabama
Spencer Semien, 10, Aurora, Regis Jesuit High School, Georgia
Caroline Smith, 6, Highlands Ranch, Cougar Run Elementary School, Texas
Ashlyn Stewart, 7, Salida, Salida Middle School, Connecticut
Annie Szcurek Davis, 6, Boulder, Centennial Middle School, Wisconsin
Mari Tanabe, 11, Manitou Springs, Manitou Springs High School, Arizona
Shreya Tekumalla, 8, Thornton, Stargate Charter School, District of Columbia
BreOnna Tindall, 11, Aurora, Overland High School, Montana
Meredith Wheeler, 11, Fort Collins, Poudre High School, Hawaii
Kayla White, 7, Salida, Salida Middle School, Alaska
Lauren Wood, 6, Morrison, Red Rocks Elementary School, New Hampshire
Jack Workman, 7, Fort Collins, T.R. Paul Academy of Arts and Knowledge, Pennsylvania
