BY ALI RAUCH
CEO OPELIKA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
OPINION —
Two hundred and fifty years ago, a group of ordinary people signed an extraordinary document. They weren’t perfect. They didn’t have all the answers. But they believed the future of America was worth building.
Now, 250 years later, that responsibility belongs to us.
Not just to preserve our history, but to prepare the next generation to write the chapters that come next.
A few months ago, I had the privilege of sitting in a room filled with middle school students competing in the National Civics Bee. They weren’t debating politics or repeating facts from a textbook. They were identifying problems in their communities, proposing solutions and standing confidently before judges to defend their ideas.
As I listened, I couldn’t help but think: This is what democracy looks like.
It looks like young people who care enough to ask questions. It looks like students who believe their voices matter. It looks like future leaders learning that citizenship isn’t something that begins when you turn 18 — it’s something you practice long before you ever cast your first vote.
At the Opelika Chamber, we’ve been honored to host the National Civics Bee for the past two years. And something remarkable has happened. Two years in a row, one of our regional finalists has gone on to win the Alabama State National Civics Bee Championship and earn the opportunity to represent our state in Washington, D.C.
This year, that student is Jay Kim.
When Jay steps onto the national stage, he won’t just represent Alabama. He’ll represent every teacher who challenged him, every parent who encouraged him and every community that believes investing in young people is one of the most important things we can do.
In a world where it’s easy to believe the next generation is disconnected, these students remind me of the opposite. They are thoughtful. They are curious. They are paying attention. Most importantly, they want to make their communities better.
That should give all of us hope.
Economic development is often measured in jobs created, buildings constructed or businesses opened. Those things matter. But the future of a community also depends on whether we’re developing leaders — young people who understand that serving others, solving problems and engaging in civic life are responsibilities worth embracing.
The National Civics Bee is one way we do exactly that.
As America commemorates its 250th anniversary, I hope we’ll spend as much time thinking about the next 250 years as we do reflecting on the last. The greatest legacy we can leave isn’t simply preserving our history. It’s preparing the young people who will carry it forward.
Congratulations, Jay. Our community is proud of you. We’re cheering you on in Washington, and we’re grateful that you remind all of us what the future of America can look like.
