Staley, Dome named to Ohio Attorney General Yost’s board

Two students from Lawrence County have been named to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Teen Ambassador Board.

Bindi Staley and Kirsten Dome are both juniors and will serve for this academic year. Both are likely familiar names to Tribune readers, due to their accomplishments in their communities.

Yost’s office says the purpose of the board is “to cultivate future Ohio leaders by introducing them to the challenges and opportunities of governance” and that the program enables students to” refine their leadership skills while preparing them for a possible career in public service.”

Board members will actively advise the attorney general’s office on issues concerning their peers while collaborating with fellow students to develop innovative solutions.

The program entails two gatherings in Columbus, where board members will engage in activities and discussions with elected officials. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to participate in various events and initiatives across the state, broadening their understanding of Ohio’s diverse communities.

• Bindi Staley attends South Point High School and is the daughter of Ayrie and Bo Staley.

She is deeply involved in her school and community, taking part in a number of extracurricular activities and has achieved many honors.

“She keeps on finding things to do,” Ayrie said of her daughter. “She always likes to be involved.”

Bindi has served on her school’s student council since her freshman year and is the treasurer for her class.

She is a captain on the school’s cheerleading team, and is on the school’s soccer, track and bowling teams.

She holds the record for pole vaulting at both the middle and high school in her district and, in track, she was named All Academic in Ohio, given for those who go to state and maintain a high grade point average.

Bindi is a member of Rho Kappa and Mu Alpha Theta, the school’s honor societies for history and math and is an honors student.

She is registered with PCG Talent Agency and is currently taking College Credit Plus classes through Ohio University.

Bindi has had a longtime interest in sign language, once teaching her fellow students at South Point Elementary School as part of the school’s clubs. 

Ayrie says her daughter has maintained that interest and is using sign language as her for foreign language credit through Ohio University.

As for future plans, she says Bindi plans to be either a school psychiatric or a sign language interpreter.

“She really wants to do something where she can help young children,” Ayrie said.

• Kirsten Dome is a homeschool student and the daughter of Carrie and Jim Dome.

Her being named to the board is the second major title she has earned this year.

In July, she was voted as Lawrence County fair princess, the younger category in the fair’s pageant, which is based on the commitment of entrants to the county’s 4-H and FFA programs. She was first runner up in the princess competition in both 2021 and 2022.

Kirsten, who has been involved with 4-H since she was 9, is president of Farmhands 4-H club and serves as one of the county’s teen leaders for 4-H.

At the fair, she has shown rabbits and goats and won as junior showman in the rabbit competition in 2021.

Carrie said her daughter loves sewing and embroidery and has won first place in cooking and sewing competitions at the fair. She has also gone on to the state fair for sewing.

Kirsten has taken part in Classical Conversation Co-op, where she enjoys studying Latin and debate, and is a straight A student.

She plays volleyball through Dawson-Bryant schools and is a member of Own It Volleyball Club.

She attends First Baptist Church of Kenova, where she is a member of the youth group.

Kirsten also participated in the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour, through Buckeye Electric, which took her to Washington, D.C.

Carrie says her daughter is undecided on a career path, but has expressed interest in becoming an attorney.

So far, for this year’s TAB program, the students have been invited to Columbus, where they got to participate in a press conference with Yost, Carrie said.

Staley and Dome both applied for TAB after seeing Yost’s announcement of the program, which ran in The Tribune earlier this year.

After serving this year, they have the option of reapplying and serving their senior year as well.