Congressman David Joyce Visits Mayfield High

U.S. Rep. David Joyce's visit to Mayfield High School on Monday was as much about life as a congressman as it was about current policies.

That's what Joyce (OH-14) hoped for all along.

"That what you should have with a young group, that means they're learning and if they're following what they're learning, hopefully they are asking those questions," Joyce said following the event.

So, he didn't mind when a student from the crowd of mostly seniors challenged his stance on gay marriage, though the exchange appeared slightly tense.

"I feel that the concept of marriage is between a man and a woman," Joyce said. "While I can understand and appreciate that two people would want to do that, the true belief, for me as a Catholic, is the fact that marriage is between a man and a woman."

Joyce continued, "I'm not projecting my values on anybody," when the young man accused him of doing so.

During more comfortable moments, the congressman revealed that he could have retired after his 24 years as Geauga County prosecutor. Instead, he decided to challenge himself. He encouraged the students to do the same thing, and that begins in the classroom.

"As you go on to (college), you need to remember that this is an opportunity for you to do big things and you need to work hard to get there," he said. "Use all the things you've learned here from your teachers and be thankful for the great education you got here at Mayfield because there's a lot of people in this country who aren't getting the quality of education that you are."

Joyce was elected in November after the GOP selected him to replace Steve LaTourette. Another student asked him what has been the hardest part of being a congressman. His answer was simple — getting the job right.

"I want to do the right thing by you and all the people I represent, even if it goes against what I feel, personally, but it's in the best interest of our district and it's in the best interest of our country, then we need to do that," he said.

"It's important to me that we build the proper foundation for you and your families here in Northeast Ohio to propser and to grow."