Upper Schoolers in The Webb School’s Civic Engagement Club gathered in Nashville’s historic Cordell Hull and State Capitol building alongside hundreds of students from across the State between February 26 and March 1, for the Tennessee Youth in Government Conference. One of three conferences held each year in Tennessee, this event is among the largest Youth in Government conferences nationwide.

Since its founding by alumni Quinn Shibayama ’25 and Bebe Falkner ’24 in 2023–24, the Civic Engagement Club’s participation has more than doubled, with 24 students representing Webb at the Youth in Government Conference in 2026. Led by Club Officers Elizabeth Jackson ’28, Rasmus Wolter ’27, Danica Crowley ’27, and Sebastian Seals-Arnold ’27, the group spent approximately two months preparing for the conference in their faculty co-sponsor—English Department Chair—Kevin Finn’s classroom during lunch. Also serving as co-sponsor this year is English Faculty Erin Dockery.

At the conference, each student was assigned to a team. These included: the Legislative team, which wrote, presented, and debated bills in the House or Senate; the Supreme Court team, which prepared legal briefs and argued historical real-life cases before the Tennessee Supreme Court; the Governor’s Cabinet, which advised the governor on issues ranging from education and agriculture to safety and homeland security; and the Press, which covered events in both print and digital media throughout the conference.

Congratulations to the following Webb students on earning awards at The Webb School’s third-ever Tennessee Youth in Government Conference:

Outstanding Statesperson

Elizabeth Jackson, Iakov Bardin ’26, Daisy McCall ’28, Christie Thomas ’27, and Rasmus Wolter
 

Outstanding Bill

Elizabeth Jackson, Hendley Jackson ’28, Mimi Jackson ’28, and Mary Myers ’28 (“An Act to Expand the Human Trafficking Data Collection and Education Process”)

Cara Lowry ’27 and Haddasah Stubbs ’27 (“An Act To Introduce and Decriminalize All Drug-Checking Equipment in Tennessee”)

Students Elizabeth Jackson, Hendley Jackson, Mimi Jackson, and Mary Myers passed their bill in the House and Senate. Meanwhile, the two teams of Cara Lowry and Haddasah Stubbs, and Rasmus Wolter and Hudson Webb ’27, passed their bill in the Senate. A first for Webb, Elizabeth Jackson also campaigned for and was elected to State-level office as the Floor Leader of the Blue House.