I attended a town hall hosted by Rep. Jim McGovern in Holliston on Saturday (March 8). Rep. McGovern spent almost three hours answering questions from about 40 people, among them a Hopkinton mother who has already lost critical medical support for her child with a rare disease; a Holliston Veteran who, thanks to DOGE, is being forced to choose between staying true to his oath or keeping his government job; and myriad concerned citizens angry that Democrats aren’t doing enough to push back against rash actions of the Trump Administration. There was one hopeful moment amidst all the pain when the second-youngest person in the room rose to speak — a student from Hopkinton High School. You could feel the tension in the room lift as she talked about her belief in our country despite all the heart-wrenching stories that others had shared earlier. I even saw Rep. McGovern stand up a little straighter!

This has been a consistent theme throughout my 12 years in Hopkinton — the most uplifting moments have come from some of our youngest citizens. Our young people are better at delivering hope than most of our politicians, especially today. Older voters and veterans, like myself, respect you. I encourage other Hopkinton High School students to join each other at future public events. You have more power than you know!

— Wilson St. Pierre, Hopkinton

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