My name is Destini Ruffner and I am a senior at Madison County High School. Apart from being a student in Blue Ridge Virtual Governor's School (BRVGS), I am actively involved in various clubs and organizations. I am the president of my school's chapter of the BETA club, Vice President of the Senior Class Council, Vice President of the Student Council Association, and a Representative of the BRVGS Student Leadership Council. I run for my school's Varsity Track & Field and Cross Country teams, where I compete in various events. I am also actively involved in the Madison Boys & Girls Club. I began as a volunteer in 2019, and I now work there part time as a Youth Development Professional and Program Assistant. These activities have allowed me to foster several important qualities and life skills, which will be valuable attributes to my project.

During the summer of 2021, I interned with Madison County's Commonwealth's Attorney, Clarissa Berry. This was an amazing experience, as I had the opportunity to learn about the daily life and duties of a prosecutor, as well as the inner workings of the Virginia court system. I also met and learned valuable information from individuals including the Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney, the Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney, the judges of the General District Court and Circuit Court, Court Clerks, and legal interns. My mentor for both my internship and community service is Ms. Clarissa Berry, the Commonwealth's Attorney.

My research topic is based on the legal rights and responsibilities of adulthood. More specifically, I will be researching the importance of understanding one's rights and responsibilities prior to turning eighteen, as well as its impact on both the individual and society.

For my community service, I worked alongside the Commonwealth's Attorney (Clarissa Berry), Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney (Wade Gelbert), Director of Elections (Lauren Eanes), and investigators from the Madison County Sheriff's Office (Invesitigator Scott Woodward and Investigatir Herrman). We worked together to deliver a presentation to the senior class at Madison County High School on the legal rights and responsibilities of adulthood. This assembly was called "Now That You're 18: The Legal Rights & Responsibilities of Adulthood."

My mentor for this project, including my internship and community service project, is Clarissa Berry. Clarissa Berry is the elected Commonwealth's Attorney of Madison County. Prior to being elected, Ms. Berry graduated from the University of Virginia and the University of Richmond. As the Commonwealth's Attorney, she carries out the prosecution of misdemeanors and felonies in Madison County, continuously maintaining Madison as a safe place. She works to pursue justice, as well as to ensure the protection of constitutional and legal rights. I have had a wonderful experience learning from her.