By Michael S. Wooley
For eighty-one years Girls State and Boys State have been the benchmark of leadership development in New Mexico. On Thursday evening during American Legion Post 31’s annual holiday meeting they hosted the latest Girls and Boys State delegates, Bailey Grady and Tyler Underwood. Girls State and Boys State are programs sponsored by American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary.
These unique summertime educational programs for high school seniors focuson a personal experience in a model state, complete with governmental bodies and elected public officials. It mirrors the structure and operation of state government and provides training in practical citizenship, leadership and character development.
Bailey and Tyler shared their Girl and Boys State experiences emphasizing how their knowledge of government expanded through hands on experience, and were thankful for the opportunity to participate in this program.
Girls State and Boys State were both held on the ENMU campus and both Bailey and Tyler received three hours of college credit in Political Science and received a $1000 scholarship at ENMU. Post 31also wishes to express their thanks to Ms. Shawn Carter, Media Arts teacher at PHS, for recognizing the importance of this program in forming this nation’s leaders of the future, and for recruiting Tyler and Bailey.
