Chloe Bidne, Daniel Kidd and Grey Willis at the Hart Global Leaders Forum
If you still have questions about the election or the state of our union, three outstanding Wildcats can help you with that. Chloe Bidne, Daniel Kidd and Grey Willis recently attended the Hart Global Leaders Forum at Southern Methodist University, where they learned lessons from President George W. Bush about citizenship and leadership.
“The best thing about participating in the forum was attending seminars on electoral demographics,” said Daniel Kidd, a member of the Lake Highlands High School wrestling team. “They presented a unique view into why this election happened. President Bush presented us with a distinctive view into some of the events that transpired during his presidency and how he kept his leadership through faith during both terms. Stepping back from the Hart Forum, I think I will remember George Bush’s quote, ‘The most powerful person in the room isn’t necessarily the loudest.’”
For Willis, simply being in the presence of a former U.S. president was inspiration enough for a lifetime.
“To think that the chances of us being in the same room is zero-to-none made the experience even more enlightening,” said Willis. “I was nominated for the program by Tracey Bishkin, and she chose me not for stellar grades or athleticism, but for the fact that in many of her Advanced Placement classes I wasn’t afraid to stand up for what I believed in, even if it was controversial to what everyone else thought. What I really took away from both speeches President Bush gave us relates to how we go forth from the divisive election and how we should view and think of President-Elect Trump, despite our personal opinions. He described the election as our official intramural sports and said, no matter the victor, we are all still on the same team. What I wish is that more people were there to hear what he had to say, because I believe the nation could have used that speech – especially from a former leader who experienced something worse than this election.”
The Hart Global Leaders Forum is hosted by SMU each November. Previous speakers have included British Prime Minister Tony Blair, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and President George H. W. Bush. The event is made possible by a gift from Mitch and Linda Hart.
