Marton Mezei finds empowerment in immigration

As a young child in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Marton Mezei was gifted a T-shirt with “But, why?” printed across the back.

At an early age, Mezei’s inquisitive nature formed thoughts faster than his legs could keep up with, and he was known for asking the question with which many young people have irritated their elders.

Now, as a high school intern in The Spokesman-Review’s Teen Journalism Institute, Mezei would rather ask himself instead.

Mezei is a naturally born American citizen with dual citizenship in the United States and in Hungary. He was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in July 2007.

His father’s role in training to be a maternal-fetal doctor led to him obtaining a work visa for the U.S. and moving to Spokane, where the career was at the time considered underserved. This facilitated a valuable opportunity to integrate as well as embrace their new city, maintaining a natural fidelity towards their Hungarian culture as he stayed in constant contact with extended family through summer vacations back in Hungary. Having ties connecting him with his culture in Pennsylvania through the Hungarian Scout Association offered relief and growth.

These days, reading and a love for the performing arts make up his typical teenage passions, and he’s also a devotee of the midday nap. Mezei is also a vocal proponent of financial literacy in young adults.

He greatly believes people should “learn from others’ mistakes,” Mezei said, especially those from history such as Napoleon Bonaparte. That’s accompanied by a zeal to empower disenfranchised individuals through “dedicated leadership,” including in his work in speech and debate, student business and marketing club DECA, of which he’s a state officer, and as president at Lewis and Clark High School as he goes into his final year of secondary schooling.

“The best leaders are driven, but they are empathic,” he said, “and they lead by empowering.”