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Chico teen travels to the White House to meet President Joe Biden

President Joe Biden and Arya Pocock in the Oval Office on Friday, December 20, 2024.
Adam Schultz
/
The White House
President Joe Biden and Arya Pocock in the Oval Office on Friday, December 20, 2024.

It's been a revolutionary year for Chico high school student Arya Pocock.

Pocock had the privilege of meeting President Joe Biden in the Oval Office this winter as a representative of the Boys & Girls of the North Valley.

She was selected by the nonprofit to be the ambassador of the Pacific region and represented youth from nine states on the trip to Washington, D.C.

"My job is to ensure that all of their voices are heard, all of their concerns are heard," Pocock said. "When I go and speak at places, I don't just focus on myself as a person, I focus on youth as a whole and try and bring voices to everyone."

Pocock is a high school senior at the Inspire School of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Chico Teen Center.

"It blew my mind because I never thought I'd be in that room meeting the President, sitting in his chair, shaking his hand; I had never pictured myself there, so for me to be there, I was just awestruck," she said.

Pocock is the first Boys & Girls Club member in Chico to receive the title of 2024 Pacific Region Youth of the Year, making history as one of the top five finalists for the National Youth of the Year competition — the most successful outcome any young person from the North Valley clubs has attained in this prestigious competition.

“I just plan on continuing to advocate and giving speeches and making my story heard, my voice heard, so that people feel comfortable sharing their voices,” Pocock said.

She plans to continue to advocate for youth nationwide as part of her responsibilities, which includes advocating for better mental health care. It is a cause close to her heart.

President Joe Biden greets Boys and Girls Clubs Youths of the Year and Club leadership Friday, December 20, 2024, in the Oval Office.
Adam Schultz
/
White House
President Joe Biden greets Boys and Girls Clubs Youths of the Year and Club leadership Friday, December 20, 2024, in the Oval Office.

"My dad died by suicide, and my uncle died by suicide, and a large portion of that was neither one of them necessarily felt comfortable talking to anyone about what they were feeling," Pocock said. "For my dad, he felt like he couldn't talk to his kids about it, and there was almost like that feeling like he couldn't speak to anyone about it.”

On her visit to the White House, she continued a seven-decade-old tradition, in which Youth of the Year finalists are granted the honor of meeting the President in the Oval Office.

This esteemed practice helps the President get to know Boys & Girls Club participants and acknowledge their remarkable accomplishments.

President Biden took a moment to share stories about his own childhood and rise to the presidency with the visiting finalists.

“It really just put into perspective that no matter what class you are, you can do something great with your life,” Pocock said.

Pocock will graduate this upcoming spring and hopes to attend Cal Poly Pomona to major in journalism and sociology.

Angel Huracha has been a part of the journalism field since 2006 and has covered a range of topics. He is a graduate of Chico State with a Bachelor's degree in news-editorial and public relations with a minor in English.