Over 60 years ago, a 16-year-old Bill Clinton stood in the White House Rose Garden and shook the hand of President John F. Kennedy—a moment that lasted a few seconds but inspired a lifetime of public service.
For the lucky few chosen by The American Legion for their Boys Nation program, to say, “You could be president one day,” is more than a figure of speech, it’s a vision of the future.
In the summer of 2024, dual enrolled Delta College student, Isaiah Kabban of Harbor Beach was one of the two delegates selected to represent Michigan at Boys Nation. This is a week-long trip to Washington D.C. where delegates convene and learn the structure and function of federal government.
“While I was standing there, listening to VP Harris speak, her first speech after Biden dropped out of the presidential race, I could tell the moment was deeply personal for her,” Isaiah reflects. “Whatever people think of the administration, you could feel the weight of the entire political climate at that moment, which meant more than any disagreement people held politically.”
While in D.C. Isaiah visited the U.S. Supreme Court, but what he was most excited for wasn’t the neoclassical architecture, the John Marshall statue or bench chair, or the 136-step spiral staircase. He was most looking forward to finding the portrait of his role model—Frank Murphy, former mayor of Detroit, governor of Michigan, U.S. Attorney General, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, University of Michigan alumnus and Harbor Beach High School graduate.
Frank Murphy is most known for the creation of the first Civil Rights section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and for his dissent in Korematsu v. United States where he wrote, “Racial discrimination in any form and in any degree has no justifiable part whatever in our democratic way of life. It is unattractive in any setting, but it is utterly revolting among a free people who have embraced the principles set forth in the Constitution of the United States.”
By now, you might not be surprised to learn that Isaiah has held and continues to hold a variety of leadership positions, including his role as the national director of the American Youth Association (AYA) where he leads congressional outreach and policy initiatives.
Isaiah credits Delta College’s flexible class scheduling for his ability to take on so many exciting responsibilities. He says if he had remained a traditional high school student, he wouldn’t have been able to do all that he has accomplished, including helping organize school field trips to the Frank Murphy Memorial Museum, leading congressional outreach and policy initiatives, attending a United Nations briefing, lobbying for positive change and more.
“The system moves slowly, and getting something done requires more than just knowing the right people—it’s about proving why something matters.”
Most recently, Isaiah participated in a one-day workshop titled, “Youth, Peace and Security Workshop: Catalyzing Youth Leadership in Uncertain Times” at his dream school—Georgetown University.
Sharing his main takeaways from that experience, Isaiah says, “One of the speakers, Saji Prelis, shared how he spent years trying to push UN resolutions forward, only to realize real change came when he stopped worrying about credit and focused on results. The more I’ve worked in advocacy—especially my outreach with the Office of the Vice President (OVP) on youth-focused foreign aid—the more I’ve seen how true that is. The system moves slowly, and getting something done requires more than just knowing the right people—it’s about proving why something matters.”
Isaiah will graduate high school this spring with two associate’s degrees from Delta College and has the credentials and confidence he needs to pursue competitive internship opportunities and apply to ivy league universities, like Georgetown and Yale. He plans to continue the momentum he has built at Delta to prepare for law school and a future career as a civil rights attorney.
Who knows? Maybe he’ll be President one day.
