After watching President Clinton’s first inauguration on television in her third grade class, Ryan DiAngelis made a promise to herself – that one day, she would be reciting that poetic oath of office. She would be an expert on law-making, foreign affairs, and protecting the people of America. She would be admired as a woman who went above and beyond the call of duty to serve her country as one of the greatest presidents in American history.
Eight years later, her goals have changed quite a bit. No longer striving for presidential office, Ryan spends much of her time doing what she loves best – writing. A member of the Youth Voice Collaborative, a media literacy program for teens, for three years and Editor-in-Chief of The Voice, a project of the Youth Voice Collaborative, for two, Ryan has committed many after-school and summertime hours to this magazine. This, she feels, has been one of the greatest experiences of her life, and an important factor in shaping who she is as an individual. Working on The Voice, an online news magazine dedicated to breaking negative stereotypes of teens in the media, DiAngelis has met and interviewed many interesting and influential people, including First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Boston civil rights activist Mel King.
Aside from the Youth Voice Collaborative, Ryan is a new addition to the BLS Argo’s editorial board, a member of Politicus, a club dedicated to discussing politics and the politicians that represent us, and has been a member of the BLS Gospel Choir for two years.
The future is still cloudy for this high school senior, but Ryan is looking forward to going to college in the fall of 2001. She is currently considering majoring in Broadcast Journalism, with a possible minor in Political Science. As the summer progresses, she has debated whether or not she would be interested in a public office, or perhaps a news reporter specializing in government.
This summer, working as a Ward Fellow to Senate President Thomas F. Birmingham, Ryan hopes to gain first hand experience in the legislative process. She is looking forward to fully understanding the roles of both Senators and Representatives, and learning what it takes to be in an elected position. She hopes to become a more socially aware citizen, and be able to share what she has learned with other teens interested in politics and government.
