Coosa County’s congressional representative, Honorable Gary Palmer, visits Central senior class
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Special to the News
The senior government students at Central High School were honored that their representative in Congress came to visit them during his visit to Coosa County Wednesday.
The government students shared a short presentation to showcase some of the activities they have been engaged in so far this year, including reenacting the signing of the Declaration of Independence, writing and sharing children’s books on the Declaration of Independence with the elementary students, reciting the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution with the elementary students on Constitution Day, participating in the Central High School voter registration drive, and using their pocket U.S. Constitutions to write their comprehensive essays, quoting from our governing document.
The seniors then presented Rep. Palmer with some mementos of his visit, including his own pocket U.S. Constitution, a flag, a flag lapel pin, and some Cougar gear.
Palmer then shared with the students. He explained how he enjoys visiting Coosa County because, like them, he also grew up in a small rural Alabama town and that he was the first in his family to attend college.
He shared words of inspiration with the students, reminding them that they can become anything they aspire to be through hard work. These were apt words considering the motto that is painted on the wall in the classroom, “Sic Parvis Magna,” greatness comes from small beginnings.
Palmer also shared that being a follower of Jesus Christ, an avid reader and studying history have helped him in his role as a public servant.
He added, “Smart people learn from their mistakes; brilliant people learn from other people’s mistakes.”
Palmer also shared information about legislation he worked on, particularly the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), including a portion of the bill that he worked on that he is particularly proud of, and will have real benefits to the students who were sitting in front of him.
The OBBBA includes a provision to increase health care opportunities in rural communities, with Alabama already receiving a $2 billion allocation. With so many of our Central graduating seniors entering the healthcare field through their coursework at the Coosa County Science and Technology Center, the provision of the bill offering full scholarships to students who commit to returning to a rural healthcare setting after completing their post-secondary studies was of particular interest.
So many of our students have a desire to return and give back to their community, but now they have an added economic incentive to do so.
Palmer then fielded questions from the students, many centering around Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data centers. Palmer reminded students that a lot of what they read on social media may not be accurate and shared some factual data that will help them make a more informed decision regarding the future of AI and data centers.
We are very thankful that Rep. Palmer would take time out of his busy schedule to come visit our senior government students. It is sure to be an experience they will remember as a highlight of their senior year.
