Lucia Lipton

Lucia Lipton reached out to us to nominate her mom, Lida Shepherd, to be our Real West Virginian of the Week. 

Lida, Lucia told us, is the WV Economic Justice director for the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker Organization. Lucia also told us that Lida has led numerous rallies in support of the rights of West Virginians, something which Lida has written passionately about in her many op-eds published by the Charleston Gazette-Mail. 

In one such op-ed, published last February, Lida wrote that, “The health and education of our children are among the most important responsibilities of the state, one could say the nonnegotiables.”

We couldn’t agree more.

But what really stood out about Lucia’s nomination, was the fact that she made it. While Lida is certainly deserving of recognition, we don’t often receive nominations from people quite so young. As a matter of fact, as a freshly-minted eighth-grader, Lucia is the youngest person from whom we’ve ever received a nomination. Although, that really shouldn’t be surprising, as Lucia makes a habit of showing poise and grace beyond her years. 

Just last April, all of West Virginia watched as Lucia shared the Culture Center stage with some of the most talented and successful artists the Mountain State has ever produced, when she served as the awards-presenter for the WV Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony. While interacting with musicians the likes of Kathy Mattea, Barbara Nissman, and even Luke Bryan, Lucia represented West Virginia as admirably as a grown woman of twice her age. 

Lida Shepherd is to be commended for her efforts to make our home a better place. But after considering everything that her daughter’s nomination signifies, we felt compelled to call an audible, and name Lucia Lipton as the certified Real West Virginian of the Week.

Have somebody you’d like to nominate? Email us at news@therealwv.com.