Nandua's Cameron Mears named MGA Youth Governor

By Jimmy Shockley

A rising senior at Nandua High School was elected Virginia’s Youth Governor for the 2020-21 school year.

Cameron Mears of Melfa, the older son of Amber Mears of Melfa and Robie Mears of Lee Mont, is the first Eastern Shore resident to win the position of Youth Governor since Anna Sexauer of Broadwater Academy in 2017.

The Youth Governor is elected through the Model General Assembly or MGA, which is sponsored by the YMCA. MGA is a chance for Virginia’s high schoolers to learn more about the legislative process of Virginia.

MGA is a three-day event that usually takes place in Richmond. The Youth Governor signs or vetoes the bills during the process. This year, due to COVID-19, the process took place online. The Youth Governor is voted for by fellow MGA participants.

“It was a surprise,” Mears said, and added it was nice seeing all of his hard work and time pay off when he won.

After he won, Gov. Ralph Northam called Mears and discussed what it was like to win and expressed a desire to meet the Youth Governor.

Mears is a member of Epworth United Methodist Church in Exmore and has been a counselor at Camp Occohannock On The Bay for the past two years.

He is well-known for wrestling at Nandua High School where he also plays soccer and runs cross-country. He finished sixth in the state in his wrestling weight class earlier this year.

His little brother Liam Mears is a rising third grader at Pungoteague Elementary School.

When he ran Mears claimed he acted like himself, which he felt gave him the win.