Warner recognizes two Meadow Bridge High School students as 'Honorary Secretaries of State' for their effort to register classmates to vote

Charleston, W.Va. – WV Secretary of State Kris Warner hosted two student leaders from Meadow Bridge High School (MBHS) in Fayette County as his honored guests at the State Capitol.

Kierston Rozell and Emily Carothers – both members of the 2025 graduating class at MBHS – were recommended by their principal to represent their school as Honorary Secretaries of State for their efforts to register members of the senior class to vote. Nominations for Honorary Secretaries of State are only accepted by those high schools that qualify for the Jennings Randolph Award. To qualify for the Award, a West Virginia high school must host a student-led effort to register at least 85% of their eligible senior class to vote.

"These two student leaders understand how important it is to be registered to vote," said Secretary of State Kris Warner. "They worked together to get 100% their eligible classmates registered to vote as well. I'm very proud of their effort."

Started by the WV Secretary of State's Office in 1994, the Jennings Randolph Award for Civic Engagement commemorates West Virginia's late U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph’s legacy as the Father of the 26th Amendment. One of the defining moments in voting rights history, the 26th Amendment was passed in 1971. The Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, an effort Senator Randolph had first championed 29 years earlier in the U.S. House of Representatives.

MBHS was recognized earlier this year for their 31st consecutive year winning the Jennings Randolph Award. The school has been a gold level recipient since the program's inception.

In addition to a morning spent with Secretary Warner in his office and a tour of the State Capitol, Rozell and Carothers were recognized on the House floor by one of their representatives, Delegate David Elliott Pritt, for their service to the state and community.