In this episode of The Best Dam Podcast, Jill catches up with Riley Knudsen, a student at Empowered Leaders Micro School and winner of the local "I Voted" sticker contest. Riley shares her experience designing the winning sticker, her love for art, and her dream of becoming an animator.

Riley also reflects on the unique environment of attending a micro school, going on memorable field trips to Disneyland and SeaWorld, and balancing volunteering and babysitting—all while sharing valuable life lessons from her parents, like never giving up on her goals.

DISCUSSION

1. Micro School Life: Attending Empowered Leaders Micro School with only 45 students across K–8th grade, benefiting from small class sizes, four-hour school days, and personalized learning.
   
   
2. "I Voted" Sticker Contest Winner: Designing three sticker options to earn school project points, and seeing her artwork featured on Boulder City election stickers.
   
   
3. Future Dreams: Aspiring to become an animator due to her love for cartoons and art, while exploring career planning and technology tools through a school career project.
   
   
4. Hands-On Field Trips: Learning through immersive experiences outside the classroom, including special trips to Disneyland and SeaWorld.
   
   
5. Community & Service: Participating in the local King Kids shopping project in the historic district and volunteering in younger classrooms.
   
   
6. Working & Babysitting: Gaining foundational work experience by helping teachers with classroom projects and enjoying babysitting local kids as an energetic, supportive friend.
   
   
7. Reading & Personal Interests: Finding inspiration in books she loves, including The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han.
   
   
8. Life Lessons from Family: Learning the importance of persistence from her parents, Zach and Sam Knudsen, and taking to heart their advice to never give up.

LEARN MORE

To learn more about the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce, visit their website at https://www.bouldercitychamber.com.

KEYWORDS

Riley Knudsen, Boulder City, I Voted Sticker Contest, Empowered Leaders Micro School, Animation, Boulder City Chamber of Commerce, The Best Dam Podcast

#RileyKnudsen #IVoted #ArtContest #BoulderCity #PublicService #YouthTalent #TheBestDamPodcast #EmpoweredLeaders



Podcast Transcript 

Jill: Listeners, we have a treat today with Miss Riley Knudsen. She is amazing. I have known her since she was a baby. She is the daughter of Zach and Sam Knudsen, and Sam is a previous board member for the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce. So we have had a lot of experience watching her grow up, and she's pretty amazing.

So I can't wait for you guys to hear from her because she was selected to do the artwork on the I Voted stickers that we recently had here in Boulder City. And so we're gonna get to know her a little bit more. So how are you today, Miss Riley Knudsen?

Riley: I'm good.

Jill: Are you? 

Riley: Yeah.

Did you just come from school?

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: All right. And you are a student at Empowered Leaders Micro School.

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: Do you love it?

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: Do you love those teachers?

Riley: Yes.

Jill: They are some pretty amazing ladies over there.

I am absolutely thrilled that we have such a program and that we have school choice, so that's pretty cool.

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: I don't know if you think how cool that is, but I know your mom and dad do.

And so you love it there, right?

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: Do you have lots of friends?

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: Very good. And so tell me a little bit more about what a micro school is. So you go to you don't go to school traditional, like eight to two normal, right?

Riley: I go to school 8:30 to 12:30. 

Jill:Okay. 

Riley: So it's four hours of school.

And instead of a normal school where there's 200 to 300 people, my school only has 45 kids in 

Jill:Awesome 

Riley: the whole entire school, K through eighth grade And it's just like a little environment to get to know you. And then, you can ex- if you're, like, struggling with, school or, or just, anything, they will get stuff to your level, and, that's what I kinda That's why I kinda moved to that school.

Jill: I love it.

Riley: And yeah.

Jill: And so then they focus on helping you excel at a pace that's good for you.

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: I love that. And you guys do some really cool stuff. I got to interact with you guys when we were doing King Kids, right? And so King Kids do their little shopping trip, and you got to be a part of that and experience what it was like to, raise your own money and then take your money and go shopping in the historic district and then be able to give those gifts as gifts for your family that Christmas, right?

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: I think they do some really fun and fascinating ways to get kids out of the out of the classroom and out into nature and out and about.

So really cool field trips. What are some other field trips you've taken?

Riley: We went to Disneyland for a field trip.

Jill: Did you really?

Riley: Yeah. That was one of the best field trips.

Jill: I can imagine.

Riley: Yeah. We went to Sea World also once.

Jill: That's awesome. So did you. While you were there, were you learning more about, sea life and... Or is that what you were doing?

Riley: Yeah. Yeah? That, The teachers plan, special classes that, not a lot of people get to do.

Jill: Yeah.

Riley: And so we got to experience that, which was really cool.

Jill: I think that is amazing, and kudos to the teachers for realizing that's such a great way for kids to learn.

Yeah, total hands on. I love that. Okay. So we love Empowered Leaders because it is truly creating empowered leaders. But tell me how it is that you found out about this contest that you could do the artwork or submit artwork for the, the I Voted stickers.

Riley: Okay. So my school does something, called projects, and we have to get five projects done every month.

Jill: Wow.

Riley: And Miss Higley was like, "If you guys need project points," which you need to get five points done also you could do this I Voted sticker contest, so I just thought I would try, and I was also low on points,

Jill: ha.

Riley: So

Jill: Truth be known.

Riley: So I grabbed a piece of paper and just started drawing, like I had three different designs drawn out.

Jill: That is awesome. So we will actually have on the show notes for anybody that's listening, They'll be able to go to the show notes and see your artwork so they can actually see what it is you do. and so then you submit that, and I was very grateful to be asked by the city clerk to be able to participate in some of the, reviewing of those art, those submissions, and I was in completely impressed.

Everybody that submitted did such a fabulous job. It was very difficult, and so I am grateful that, your artwork was selected overall. And so now did they tell you will it be on the November, election series as well or was it just for the primary?

Riley: They told me it was gonna... They were gonna show it on the, for the November ones like just for the November one. They didn't say like for the

Jill: The primary 

Riley: Yeah 

Jill: that was in June, yeah?

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: So then that was a preview. 

Riley: Yeah. 

Everybody got to see it in advance. I think that's pretty dang cool. So did your mom and dad blow it up and put it in a big, poster board size over the fireplace?

Riley: No.

Jill: No? What the heck. They should do that for you.

Riley: We have a golf cart, and we have one of my stickers on the back of it,

Jill: Okay. okay, that's pretty darn cool too. And I'm not at all surprised that you guys have a golf cart. That just feels like it fits right in. Okay. So tell me one of your other favorite projects about, some of the programs you do at the school.

Riley: One of my favorites that I'm actually doing right now is like a future career project.

And you do this course, and it's like they're gonna It makes you like fill out a resume, what job you wanna do. 

Jill: Oh. 

Riley: Like a fake, like interview, and that's cool. And then you also get to do what the job you chose is.

Jill: Really?

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: So you shadow somebody that is already doing that job?

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: Okay. So what's the job you wanna do?

Riley: One of my jobs that I was looking at was an animator 

Jill: Ooh 

Riley: 'cause I really like the cartoons and stuff, and I've always just been i- into art, like I like

Jill: That would be really cool.

I am not at all surprised with your talent and skill that I've witnessed that you want to go that direction. And so how do you... Are you at all worried or do you look at what it looks like with the, the technology changes and advancements with the animation? You still want to have your influence and with your creativity, right?

So is there a way to bridge that? Are they doing that now?

Riley: I don't... It's kinda

Jill: Have you learned much about that? 'Cause I would imagine you've probably seen what animation looks like and the stuff that they have to do to make it all happen. But you still get to have a creative element there, right? You are still in control of the creativity side.

It's just technology that's put stringing it all together.

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: Really? Yeah. That's great.

Riley: So we can, we obviously, sketch it out and, put it into the system, but if, you need help, there's sometimes with, what you're using, it can help you, put it together or help step by step like what the next step is, just to, slowly guide you through, which is, the thing I liked about that.

Jill: I love that. I think all of us could use that step-by-step guidance, so that's awesome. I had no idea how that all worked. I just like to go watch Disney movies and figure it out.

It's all done for me. I don't have to worry about it, but I'm glad to know that there's somebody there that's help guiding that process.

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: So thank you very much. I also know that you happen to do a lot of volunteering. And so have you had a favorite volunteer job or something you'd like to do to help volunteer?

Riley: Like my brother's teachers

Jill: Yeah

Riley: will ask me to volunteer with, little kids and stuff, and I like that. 

Jill: Yeah. 

Riley: Like doing, little kid projects and, helping and coming into class and, showing them, like, how to do this. it's kinda cool.

Jill: It's kinda cool to be the the big kid, huh?

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: That is awesome. Thank you very much for your service and for volunteering. And just FYI, the Chamber of Commerce has many volunteer and service opportunities. So if you would like to volunteer, your mom knows how to get ahold of me.

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: We would love, love, love to have you. So what was your very first job?

Can you think of your very first job?

Riley: My brother's kindergarten teacher made me cut out lots, like ABC books for the next class

Jill: Oh, wow

Riley: And there was like 27 letters, and like each letter had 26

Jill: Oh, goodness

Riley: Yeah. Wait, I just said that 

Jill: Yeah, a lot of copies of all of that

Riley: Yeah. And there's 26 letters in the alphabet, and then 27 kids.

Jill: Perfect. I knew what you meant. Everybody knew what you meant. You're all good. Thank you very much for that. No problem. And, I, you know what, I think that's a great basis and a great foundation for what you're gonna have for the rest of your life, right? So doing those little jobs that don't seem, it seems mundane and like boring and over again, but at some point in time, when you're animating, I'm imagining that you're gonna be doing a lot of things over and over again. So that repetitive stuff is probably good to learn now and be used to and okay with. So yeah, what a great foundation to get you started. And so I know you do a lot of babysitting too, don't you? I bet. I'm sure that, is that your absolute favorite thing to do?

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: Oh, really? I would've thought you said, "Oh, nah, I like the other stuff better."

Riley: I like babysitting a lot 'cause it's just, fun. 'cause like being their babysitter, you you cannot be like Like, make sure they're safe and stuff

Jill: Yes,

Riley: thank you but also be like their friend.

Jill: Yeah And fun. And do fun stuff with them?

Riley: Yeah. '

Jill: Cause you have the energy to do it. We as parents, we're exhausted. We do not have that kind of energy. So thank you for being an energetic babysitter that's willing to keep them safe. That is awesome. I really appreciate that. And so I wanna know a little bit, so you don't realize this 'cause you probably never listen to the Best Damn Podcast.

You're welcome to listen any time you want. But we always ask people a little bit more about themselves. And so do you have a favorite book? Have you ever, have you had a favorite book yet? What are you reading? 

Riley: My favorite book so far is a book called The Summer I Turned Pretty, and it's a really popular TV show now.

Jill: Really?

Riley: Yeah,

Jill: Oh, I'm gonna have to check it out. And that's by Jenny Han.

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: Very good. And so it, and I think she has series of books, right? Yeah. How great. I'm glad that you love that. Do you love to read?

Riley: Not really. But once I actually find, a book that I like, like that type of books I like, I'll actually start reading it, but if I don't like it, I'll give up immediately.

Jill: So I totally know what you mean, because I have to read so much for work, and I'm just like you have to read so much for school that it's hard for me to get super engaged and inspired by fun reading, right?

It's a little bit hard to do, so I do understand. You know what I have learned? I am, becoming obsessed more with Audible books and, books on tape and that kind of concept 'cause I can sit and it's like I can do two things at once, right?

I can be driving or working or cleaning or whatever. I'm finding that I'm much more of a, a listener than I am a actual reader.

So I do understand where you're coming from. Okay. So what's something that people don't know about you that you're gonna unveil on this podcast? They don't know anything about you.

What's something that they don't know about you?

Riley: I honestly don't know. I tell everybody everything about me.

Jill: You're an open book, huh? 

Riley: Yeah. 

Jill: Okay. that's good. and you're also quite young, so maybe you'll have a few more things happen in your life that you'll keep secret, and you can come back on, the Best Damn Podcast and reveal that later. Okay. 

Riley: Yeah. 

Jill: All right. I'm gonna hold you to that. All right. So tell me something that you've learned from your mom and dad that you know you'll use throughout your life.

Riley: Like the don't ever give up type of stuff

Jill: Good idea

Riley: Like, 'cause like I'm... if I don't like something, I will stop it.

I'm that type of person. But my parents encourage me and support me to not give up on it, and that I can do it.

Jill: That's awesome.

Riley: And yeah.

Jill: I think that's a great thing, and that will absolutely support you throughout your whole life. And then you're, you'll turn around and teach that to your kids, right?

Riley: Yeah.

Jill: I love it, and I love your parents, and I'm grateful for them. So thank you so much for being on our show today. We've loved having you. We've loved learning about Empowered Leaders and about how you ended up on the I Voted sticker. I'm sure people will absolutely be paying attention now when they get that sticker.

I don't know about, any of the listeners right now, but a lot of times I pass up that sticker 'cause I know I'm not gonna stick it on. I'm like, "Oh, I don't wanna waste their paper. Let somebody else." But this year I will absolutely make sure I get one. I will ask for one of every type. That's gonna be awesome.

So thank you so much for being here.

Riley: Thank you.