Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas administering the oath of office
Hi everyone, my name is Tessa and I go to Green Acres Elementary School in North Haven. I was elected as Connecticut’s 2026 Kid Governor by the fifth graders of Connecticut last November. Today I was sworn into office by Connecticut’s Secretary of State, Stephanie Thomas. It was an exciting day for me and my Cabinet Members!
I went through a long process to become Kid Governor, starting with class and school elections. Then, I was selected as one of the seven final candidates in the Statewide Election. In the election, each candidate had to choose a community issue to focus their platform on. I researched many topics, from school lunches to school safety, to homelessness, but the issue that stuck out to me was inclusion for students with disabilities. When I found out I had won the election, I was shocked and proud of myself. I knew that I had worked hard and I was excited, but most of all, I was glad the State of Connecticut was finally ready to accept kids for who they are.
As Kid Governor, I have a Cabinet made up of the other candidates from the election. My Cabinet Members are very kind and great leaders. There’s Ajla, Alyvia, Dylan, Myra, Nana, and Samuel. Their platforms are also very important and have some connections to mine. They are all focused on inclusion and making sure everyone feels cared for and welcomed.
There are many programs that help students who are excluded. However, students with disabilities feel left out every day. In fact, research from 2025 shows that over 90% of children with disabilities experience social isolation, while only 60% of kids with no disabilities report feeling left out sometimes. This means that students with disabilities are more likely to feel isolated or not welcome.
My platform to address this issue has three steps.
- Share resources with kids across Connecticut to explore with their class. These resources are meant to help students understand how people with disabilities are feeling and see things from their points of view.
- Invite schools to create buddy systems to promote inclusion among kids of all abilities. This system is meant to bring students together and create a bond between people who might not know each other well yet.
- Finally, I will encourage schools to have a buddy lunch table, where students can sit if they feel left out or need a friend. They will be able to join other kids and make friends, because maybe your future friend is sitting across the table from you.
A few weeks ago, I participated in the Connecticut Democracy Center’s Leadership Transition Meeting, where I met my Cabinet Members. I was a little nervous, but our platforms have a lot in common, so we got along really well! I’m glad I will have them by my side.
Another thing we did at the Leadership Transition Meeting was meet with the 2025 Cabinet and Kid Governor, Keudy. He and I talked about becoming a Kid Governor and what my responsibilities would be. He also gave me some really good advice.
It was exciting to see my office at Connecticut’s Old State House! It has pictures of all of the past Kid Governors. Now my picture is up there, too! My favorite part was the shelf with all of the recognitions Keudy received from state officials. I will feel very proud to receive citations from adults in elected office too!
I hope you all will follow my term this year and help include students no matter what they look like or sound like. If you have ideas to share with me or are making a difference in your community, you can email me at Tessa@CT.KidGovernor.org.
Remember to check this blog for updates and to be inclusive to everyone!
Theresa (Tessa) Hallinan
2026 Kid Governor
Green Acres Elementary School
North Haven