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Nick Wilson, an eighth grader at Ashville Middle School, has been elected secretary of the Alabama Junior Beta Club. 

He is the son of Al and Tonya Wilson and serves as president of the school’s Beta Club chapter.  Elected to the state office in March, Nick has the opportunity to seek election as an officer in the state club, will have charge of certain activities at the state convention, and is responsible for promoting participation in the Beta Club at school.

“Nick is a very capable young man and an outstanding student,” said Kerry Montgomery, school counselor and Beta Club sponsor.  “I think he’s going very far in life.  We’re very proud of him.”

To become a Beta Club member, students must maintain at least a B average and have no demerits on their school record.  Nick will be eligible to remain in the Junior Beta Club through his freshman year of high school but can’t be re-elected to his state office.

“When Mrs. Montgomery asked if I’d like to run, I thought it would be a good opportunity to do something that hasn’t been done before,” he said.  “It was something that would help me—it’ll look great on a college application—and it would put our school on the map.”

Nick also talked about other matters related to school and the future.

The biggest challenge facing adolescents today:  “People, including other kids our age, don’t realize the potential we have.  It’s hard to prove yourself when you’re this age, academically, athletically or in anything else.  There’s always someone older telling you how to do something, and that’s what we want.  We want to learn and grow, but we want people to realize that we can make an actual difference in things.  That’s one reason I ran for this office, to prove that I can do something other than just come to school and make good grades.”

His favorite subject:  history, particularly that of ancient cultures.  “The Romans, the Greeks, the Persians – I love it all.  It’s so vast and interesting to learn about ancient cultures and what became of them.  It teaches us how far we’ve come and how far we have to go.”

The historical figure he’d most like to meet:  “Julius Caesar.  He was intelligent and a great leader.  I think he’s a great person to look up to.”

The time and place he’d most like to visit:  “Ancient Athens.   I’d like to have seen the Parthenon and the temple of Athena as brand-new buildings. I’d like to see what people wore, talk to them in ancient Greek and walk down the street like I would in Ashville, feeling at home.”

Looking ahead:  “I’m planning on joining the military and going to the Air Force Academy in Denver to study politics, mechanical engineering, world history and economics.  I want to work my way up through the ranks, maybe become a brigadier general, then come back home to Alabama and get into politics.   First I’d run for state legislature, then later, after I get some experience, governor, then maybe Congress and then maybe president or vice-president of the United States, if I can take it that far.”