MARTINSBURG — Jayden Hall, a vibrant student at Martinsburg South Middle School, was chosen to be Mayor for a Day after being selected through an essay contest with the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle.
Hall spent Thursday with Martinsburg Mayor Kevin Knowles, learning about the innerworkings of the city, meeting employees in different departments, eating lunch downtown and participating in the regular Martinsburg City Council meeting with the council members.
As the first to be chosen to be Mayor for a Day, this was surely a day that Hall will never forget.
Her day began when Knowles, staff from the BGCEP and Hall’s mom surprised her at school in her class. Knowles announced that she had been chosen as honorary Mayor for a Day. He had her raise her right hand and be “sworn in” in front of her class.
The class was excited for Hall and clapped for her as she stepped into her new role for the day.
At the end of the afternoon, Hall was able to participate in the Martinsburg City Council meeting, where she read the proclamation for Constitution Week, which is September 17-23, and she read some of the action items to be approved by the council.
Brittaney Taylor, Jayden’s mom, explained that over the summer, the BGCEP was doing an essay where the kids wrote about what they would do if they were mayor for a day.
Hall said that in her essay, she wrote about how she wanted to get the Boys & Girls Club new shirts, take them all to Sky Zone and get the club a new building, among other things.
Knowles said that in her essay, something that stood out to him that she wrote was the fact that she wanted to throw an alcohol- and drug-free block party.
“One of the greatest joys of being mayor is to be able to come out into the community and work with our youngsters and the youth in the community,” Knowles said. “She is an outstanding young person, very well spoken to the community about the Boys & Girls Club. She stands out far above.”
Out of 16 essays, Hall’s was chosen, and Kait Romero, Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle unit director for the Martinsburg-Berkeley County unit, said that she hopes the experience will help Hall recognize the confidence she has.
“Jayden is the quintessential club kid. She does everything that the club has to offer. She is the Torch Club president, and when she can’t come to the club for a week (spring break or something), she breaks down. This is her safe place,” Romero said. “I hope she gets to step out of her box a little bit, because she is very shy. I am hoping this breaks her shell and that she can be a little more confident.”
According to Brittaney Taylor, her daughter has been in the club for about eight years, and Romero has watched Jayden and her sister grow up.
“She is pretty deeply rooted there,” Brittaney said about her daughter. “She is a great kid.”
Knowles said that this event will be an ongoing thing and that Hall will always be the first, even as time moves on.
Hall said that she might want to consider running for mayor one day. She was excited to be chosen and enjoyed her day as the mayor of Martinsburg.
