In 2006 Brian Meersma, 10, of West Windsor represented the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children in Washington, D.C. as the runner-up in the state association’s annual contest with his independent project, “Politics for Kids.” This year he was chosen as the New Jersey Nicholas Green Distinguished Student and will receive a $500 prize on Saturday, March 17 during the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children annual conference at the Westin Hotel in Forrestal Village. Meersma is a student at Princeton Friends School.##M:[more]##
Not only did he write an essay but he invited former President Bill Clinton to meet with him about his project. He received a personal letter in return ending with, “With young people like you, we can be sure that America’s best days, and the world’s finest hours, lie ahead.”
Born in West Windsor, Brian, almost 11, attended Hawk School for four years. “His needs were not being appropriately met in the district,” says his mother, Kathy Meersma, a psychologist with a private practice who is also on the Rutgers counseling staff. “Princeton Friends School has been a wonderful experience for us.”
Brian’s father Steve, is an environmental engineer in New York City. His sister Kim, 14, is an eighth grade student at Grover where she is a member of the basketball team and the advanced choir.
Brian became interested in politics when he was three. “We talked about people from Israel and Palestine throwing stones at each other,” says his mother. “Brian said, ‘and this is the first I’m hearing about it?’”
In February, 2005, he interviewed then Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Forrester at his Berkshire Drive home. (Forrester lives on the same street as the Meersma family). Kids were invited to ask questions and let Forrester know what they think.
His analysis of the interview was that politicians sometimes get off topic, give long answers, duck questions, and change questions.
“I think that if kids get interested in politics, they might decide to run for office someday,” he wrote in 2006. “Then maybe there will be more choices and not just millionaires running for office. Maybe if it didn’t take millions to run a campaign, we could get someone who better represents the views of the people.”
