“We will get through this. We will get through this together." This is the motto that Kentucky's Governor, Andy Beshear, has viewers repeat with him during his daily 5 p.m. Coronavirus updates. Governor Beshear is every Kentuckian's saving grace right now, as well as the subject of many Facebook meme pages dedicated to his comforting-yet-stern, paternalistic nature over the past few months.

Jeremy McFarland/Andy Beshear Memes for Social Distancing Teens

The pandemic has certainly brought Governor Beshear widespread popularity and praise both in Kentucky and beyond, but I was able to have a great first impression of him long before the Coronavirus was on anyone's radar.

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The summer after my freshman year in high school, I had the chance to meet then-Attorney General Beshear. My godmother and her family had just moved to Louisville, Kentucky, and while my family and I were visiting them, we saw a couple of children across the street selling what we thought was lemonade at a lemonade stand (it ended up being Gatorade). My family walked over to buy some, and it was then that their parents came outside to say hello. While I was talking to the kids, their father introduced himself to my stepdad with a casual, "Hello! I'm Andy Beshear."

Having sung in choirs for almost five years at that point, and just begun acting on stage, I was an avid advocate for the arts. As such, I immediately jumped on this chance to tell the Attorney General about the lack of arts funding in the state and how that had impacted my personal life. I'm not sure what I said to him that day, and I'm sure I was probably much more nervous to talk to him than the moment warranted, but he truly listened to everything I had to say and responded thoughtfully. He most likely does not remember this encounter, but I was absolutely struck by how such an important figure— and a politician, nonetheless— listened to the issues a mere 15-year-old was passionate about. It was my first time seeing how genuine a politician could be, especially in a time when the world was incessantly and harshly pitting Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump against one another.

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When Andy Beshear won the gubernatorial election against incumbent Matt Bevin (the least-liked governor in the country at the time) in November of last year, I was ecstatic. I had studied all of his platforms and could not wait to see the positive change he would bring about after a politically-tumultuous few years in my beloved state.

His first four months in office have certainly not been what anyone was expecting. Governor Beshear has not been able to tackle all of the issues he was planning to, due to the pandemic, but he isn't bitter about this. What I love about him and his team is that they are whole-heartedly focused on the health of every Kentuckian. He is not itching to reopen the state and understands that the lives of his citizens take priority over the demands of those who do not yet grasp the severity of the situation we are living in. No matter what, he stays calm, cool, and collected, and assures us that this will not last forever, while also encouraging us to follow the safety guidelines if we ever truly want to return to some sort of "normal".

After receiving a question during his live update a few days ago, the Governor began to tear up. The question: how is he doing? It was clear that he had not really taken a moment since this all began to consider that. Hopefully, he could tell how grateful so many people are for his leadership and guidance during this time, and that we are here for him just as much as he is here for us. The world could certainly use more Andy Beshears, and we're quite lucky to have him.