"Our visit with the governor was a great opportunity to show a real-world application of what we teach in our curriculum,"Moser said. "Having the students actually hear Governor Granholm discuss the issues facing Michigan and possible remedies for them could not have been duplicated in the classroom with the same effectiveness. I think the students learned that solutions to problems come from people, not from just a building or a text book."

Students submitted the following, regarding their experience:

Katy Gondol, 10th grade:

Something that really interested me that Governor Granholm talked about was what she said about the education plan. She called it the "3 Rs", which stands for "Rigor, Relationships, and Relevance."Rigor means that we make our curriculum more difficult so our students can be better challenged.

When she was talking about relationships, she mentioned having a "mentor"for each student all through high school so students can seek help if they need it. They can also remind the students to get in all their homework. It will pretty much be like having a mom or a dad at school with you.

And the last thing she talked about was, relevance, which is what all the teachers should be doing. Every subject the students have, they always ask the same question, "how is this going to help me out in the real world?"The teachers always explain and teach the subject, but they're not giving the students examples or helping them understand why they need to know it. And if we add relevance to the education plan, then the students will be able to get a hands-on experience. Meeting and listening to the Governor was an honor, and certainly a memory I will never forget.

Megan Adams, 10th grade:

My experience meeting Governor Granholm? There is so much to be said about this experience; having the privilege to go and talk to our governor, and to hear her ideas on improving our economy and future education plans was amazing.

First off, just the opportunity to exchange a few pleasantries was an honor in itself; however, listening to all of Jennifer Granholm's ideas was downright phenomenal. Her ideas on developing a better educational system are, shall I say totally fantastic? One idea consisted of adding a "seminar"period at the end of each school day, which would entitle students more one-on-one time with teachers, which would, of course, be a vast improvement from the "this is the lesson, this is your homework, now get to work." With the seminar period, students would be assigned to the same teacher for four years, the entire high school career. In a way, teachers would become a "second"parent to the student, and believe me when I say, we all need that.

Among other things that were said, naturally the state of our economic role was mentioned. Although many say the Governor's plan is far from fantastic, I beg to differ. Creating new jobs by means of not only improving our atmosphere from renewable resources, but also through using our "four Ws,"water, woods, winds and wheels. Creating new jobs by building wind mills and improving our woods, and through increasing our automobile industry, it's a wonderful plan and much too much to go into detail.

All in all, my experience of meeting the governor, and listening to her speech was "one in a million."Therefore, much was learned and discussed. It was an extreme honor to have been picked to see one of the influential leaders in Michigan and the next time Governor Granholm is in town, I will certainly make my way over there to see her again.

Melody Britton, 10th grade:

Being able to meet Governor Granholm was a great experience. I was excited when I found out I was one of only five to be chosen to meet her and listen to her speech on her economic and educational development plans.

Before she started her speech, the five of us students, Mr. Moser, and Mr.Grajewski all got to meet her in person and get pictures with her. She was really nice, and she was also very approachable. Her bodyguards were really cool too.

She had great ideas about a "seminar"or a "study hour"for students in all schools, who need some extra help or just need more school time to complete schoolwork. She also talked about storing CO2 rather than just letting them go up into the atmosphere polluting the air we breath, this was called "carbon sequestration." All in all it was amazing and if I could go againÉ I totally would. I also want to thank the people who made it possible for us to even have the chance to do this. Thank you so much.

Alannah Aldridge, 10th grade:

My experience in meeting the governor of Michigan was amazing. The topics that really caught my attention were her education plan and creating more jobs. Her idea of a better education for kids is having a staff member be responsible of a child for all four years of his/ her high school. She mentioned three Rs, which stood for Rigor, Relationships, and Relevance. She also mentioned that all kids have a right to a great education. If a school is failing and the community and the students are failing because of the school, then the school will be shut down and broken up into smaller, more student friendly districts. She said that if students fail because of the school then that would be not fair to the students and their education.

The other topic that caught my attention was creating more jobs. That was a big issue to me because we, the citizens of Michigan, have lost so many jobs and money. Many people from Michigan have had to move out of the state to find better jobs, which is not fair to the families. Her plan consists of four Ws. Those four Ws are wind, water, woods, and wheels. She's also planning to use waste as a renewable resources. The interesting thing she mentioned was that Sweden was the one country most like Michigan, and they are doing really well with wind, water, and woods. I feel, as Governor Granholm said, that if that country can do it, so can we.

After all of this, I have learned a lot from this experience. I would really like to see her again. She is a very nice and warming person and I felt comfortable around her. When I was near her, I felt like I was at home. I want to thank all of those people who made it possible for us to come to this meeting. It was amazing.

Chris Korson, 12th grade:

When I heard that I was chosen to go see Governor Granholm, I was very surprised, but I was also glad that I got this opportunity. When we arrived at the opera house, my fellow classmates, teacher (Mr. Moser), and principal (Mr. Grajewski) were honored to meet with the governor and have our picture taken with her. Then she shook our hands before leaving to deliver her speech.

Soon after, we all sat down and listened to what she had to say. She talked about education, jobs, and the environment in Michigan. As far as Michigan education goes, she talked about what she expects of each student in the future. She also plans on bringing more new jobs in the renewable energy field by 2030. Michigan used to be the biggest car manufacturer in the world and she plans on working to bring that business back.

Michigan's environment also has her talking. Gas prices were a huge topic. She is trying to find a way to use diversify our economy while limiting our dependence on foreign oil. This should help the economy and also our wallet.

Overall, I had a very great time. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm glad I was able to take part.