FAIRMONT —
Marion County Board of Education candidate Travis L. Blosser is eager to make a difference in the school system at a young age.
This Palatine District candidate lives in Fairmont, where he was born and raised. Blosser, who is 20 years old, graduated from East Fairmont High School in 2010. This fall, he will begin attending Pierpont Community & Technical College to study accounting, which is a two-year program.
He worked for Jamieson Family Markets, which owns the Shop ’n Save stores in the Fairmont area, while in high school and for a year after graduating.
For the past year, Blosser has been employed with BCBank in Fairmont as a collections officer. He said he plans to stay with BCBank, which is helping him with his schooling, “for a good long while."
Blosser has always been interested in politics.
He grew up with family going into the military and wanting to serve their country in that way. Blosser didn’t want to pursue a military career himself, but he decided at a young age that public service was the path he wanted to take in life.
“I feel that I need to serve my state and my community and my country, and this is the best way I can see (to do that),” he said.
He ran for the 43rd District of the West Virginia House of Delegates in the 2010 election, and was amazed to see the amount of support he received. Although he didn’t win the race, he said his first election showed him that age doesn’t matter, and what’s most important is how articulate a candidate is in voicing his opinions and views.
“It was just an enlightening experience,” he said.
This election, Blosser is vying for a seat on the Marion County Board of Education. He said he became interested in running after seeing first-hand what was going on in the schools.
Blosser feels he has a unique outlook because he was a student himself a little less than two years ago. After talking with students here, he feels there is a need for someone on the board who will be dedicated to meeting with students and teachers to find out what they need in the school system and how to improve their education standards.
Some key issues that Blosser would like to focus on if elected are safety in the schools, drugs, and violence and bullying.
He thinks at his age, he can understand what the students are going through and how they are feeling, and better articulate those matters to the community. It’s important to create an atmosphere where kids feel safe coming forward about these problems, he said.
Blosser hopes to serve as a kind of inspiration to kids, who will see someone their age stepping up to the plate to deal with problems and may be encouraged to do the same.
He believes the board should focus more on the new schools that are built in the county and how to maintain them. He saw repairs needed at East Fairmont High School when he attended, and the other schools have needs as well.
"I'd like to see them focus on trying to keep up our schools,” Blosser said.
He also said there are different items in the budget that aren’t needed that the board could eliminate. Working in the banking sector, Blosser knows about finances and would be able to explain to the community what spending the county could do without in order for the schools to get the most out of their money.
"I would encourage people to vote for me because of the simple fact that I am (near) the age of a lot of students," he said. "I just feel it’s time for my generation to step up and start making decisions.”
He believes he has a duty and responsibility to start leading on critical issues at his age, instead of relying on others to make changes happen. He wants to be a part of bettering his generation.
“It's to try to make a difference for students, for teachers, all around,” Blosser said.
The majority of Blosser’s family resides in the Fairmont-Marion County area, including his parents, cousins, aunts and uncles.
Email Jessica Borders at jborders@timeswv.com.
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