Photos: Windsor 5th-Grader Inaugurated As CT's 2022 Kid Governor

WINDSOR, CT — A Windsor resident has risen to the top of state government — at least, at the fifth-grade level.

Makhi Ettienne-Modeste, a Windsor resident and student at John F. Kennedy School, was recently inaugurated as Connecticut's 2022 kid governor after he was voted in by fifth-graders statewide.

Ettienne-Modeste ran on a platform of combatting animal abuse, titled "Protect Our Pets." He pledged to educate the state's fifth-graders on the signs of animal abuse, to raise awareness through posters, and to donate to shelters that care for animals that have been abused.

The kid governor, who himself has two dogs named Blue and Paco, said his leadership qualities include being empathetic, outgoing, patient and loving.

His victory was announced by NBC Connecticut anchor Keisha James and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz last November, and he was inaugurated on Friday.

In his inauguration speech, he thanked the Windsor Public Schools community and the Windsor Board of Education for their encouragement, and spoke on the importance of preventing animal cruelty.

"Together, we can make a big difference in our state and help many animals who need us," Ettienne-Modeste said in his speech, which is posted to YouTube. "Remember to treat companion animals with kindness, and 'POP' — Protect Our Pets."

Through the Kid Governor program, each year fifth-graders throughout Connecticut elect one of their own to serve as Kid Governor out of a group of finalists.

The finalists — Brian Wright of Meriden, Elizabeth Becker of Hartford, Madelyn Sweet of East Hartford, Olivia Campbell of New London, Samantha Botero of Stamford and Satvik Nog of Southbury — will serve as Ettienne-Modeste's cabinet.