Lakeshore Student of the Year Carter Anderson receives Mayoral Proclamation

Lakeshore Elementary Student of the Year Carter Anderson visited the Monroe Mayor’s Office with his fellow BETA Club members in February, and he immediately caught Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis’s eye.

Before Anderson even spoke, Ellis saw that he had a great smile and was a sharp dresser.

“He has a big personality,” Ellis said. “You can definitely tell leaders when you see them, and you’re around them. He is very humble, yet confident.”

Carter took in everything. He said the office was way bigger than he thought it would be, and the visit even piqued his interest to consider running for mayor one day. As his wheels kept turning, Carter asked the mayor lots of questions, but one stood out in particular.

“He asked me what was my favorite part about the job – I get to help people,” Ellis said. “I get to wake up every day and help people. That’s kind of part of leadership is figuring out who you can help.”

By the end of the visit, Ellis helped make Anderson’s day. He gave him a key to the city of Monroe and promised to make a trip to Lakeshore Elementary to deliver a proclamation. Ellis owned up to that promise on Monday when he visited the school and proclaimed March 10, 2025 as Carter Anderson Day.

“You can tell when somebody is kind,” Ellis said. “When I tell you that’s the most important thing you can do is be kind. It seems like you’ve gotten all that taken care of. I wanted to be able to give you that gift because when you see young men or young women step up in that role and be leaders in their school like you are, that’s one of the cool things I get to do as mayor is I get to recognize it and honor you and all you’re doing.”

Anderson is a 4.0 student and enjoys playing football and basketball, as well as being a part of the BETA Club.