Montgomery 5th Grader Named State Elementary Beta President
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Montgomery County Elementary School representatives brought home a first place award and a celebrity when they returned from the Georgia Elementary Beta Convention on December 1. Fifth-grade student Karmin Johnson was installed as State Elementary Beta President at the second session of the convention after having completed her campaign rally the previous night.
Karmin is the 11 yearold daughter of Terra Fountain and Josh Brinson. She has attended Montgomery County Schools for two years, spending one year at Montgomery County Elementary School and studying this year at Montgomery County Eagle Academy. She was inducted into the Montgomery County Elementary Beta Club this year, an achievement she has worked for since transferring into the Montgomery County School System last year for the purpose of joining Beta activities which are not offered at the elementary level in other area schools. “Honestly, being president feels really exciting and a little challenging in some ways,” Karmin commented. “I wanted to run for the position to prove that even though you may live in a small town and be young, you can do anything.” She explained that it was a lot of work to prepare for the convention. A campaign group was recruited, posters were made, and a campaign skit was crafted to share with the entire state elementary Beta community why Johnson deserved to be president. “It took a lot of time to really be ready for the convention,” Karmin said. “I don’t think I could have done it without my friends and family supporting me. Every time I got nervous, I would remind myself that I could do it, but it was my friends and family that really made me believe in myself.”
Karmin didn’t expect that she would be running for the state elementary Beta president. She admitted that she had always been timid and shy as a student, so running for this position was out of her comfort zone. “I hope that when other people look at me and see what I have accomplished, they are reminded that anything is possible,” she added. “I hope they see how shy I was and how much I have grown and know that they can do that, too.” Karmin has high hopes for her presidency in the organization. “I want to do what I can to help Beta Club continue to be as awesome as it is and maybe even better,” she remarked. “I am excited to see what all this opportunity has to offer, and I am grateful for all who helped me get here.” When asked if she had any advice for any students who thought about running for a state Beta Club office, Karmin had a simple message. “Go for it. If you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything.” Not only has the Montgomery County community supported Karmin through their display of signs on businesses and messages of encouragement, but her campaign team of five fellow Montgomery County Elementary School Beta Club members have stood by Johnson throughout the process, and even won themselves the first place prize for their campaign skit. Participants in this event included Kinley Barber, Kaydence Beecher, Isabella Huber, Italy Thornton, and Tatum Williams. Montgomery County Assistant Superintendent and Eagle Academy Administrator Beverly Faircloth commented on Karmin’s achievement. “We are so incredibly proud of Karmin and her initiative. She is not someone who seeks the spotlight and definitely had to step out of her comfort zone to meet this challenge, which makes us even more proud.”
MADAME PRESIDENT — Montgomery County 5th grader Karmin Johnson was installed as the Georgia Elementary Beta President on December 1 at the Georgia Elementary Beta Convention in Savannah. Here, Karmin stands with a state Beta sponsor during her installation.
