Girls State inspires, teaches about governmental process, say Juan Diego seniors who attended

Friday, Jun. 24, 2016

DRAPER — Addison Toney and Maureen Mullen, who will be seniors at Juan Diego Catholic High School, attended the 69th annual Girls State, a nonpartisan program that teaches rising high school juniors about the government process. 

Both girls said they were inspired by the invited speakers, learned a lot about the governmental process, gained an appreciation for the men and women who serve in the military, and were forced out of their comfort zone by having to do some public speaking during the program, which was held at Weber State University June 6-11.

Before attending Girls State, Toney wasn’t sure she was going to have a good time; although she had taken a few government classes, “it’s not something I am passionate about,” she said. “I was nervous, but everybody was so nice and so inclusive it was an amazing experience. I learned so much not only about the government system, but also about patriotism and how to grow a love for my country and the people who fight for it. Every day we had a tribute to the fallen soldiers. One night we attended a very powerful flag retirement ceremony.”

The girls also listened to speakers; Landon Weeks, a past Boy’s State Governor, stood out for Toney, she said. “Landon had a condition called phocomelia syndrome, in which his arms were only half the length that they should be and he only had six fingers. Despite his challenges, he played the piano and sang a gorgeous duet with his brother. He said, ‘choose happiness, and choose to laugh’ and ‘by setting attainable goals that build up to an even bigger goal’ we can achieve greatness. His message inspired me because despite his adversity, he was still on stage smiling and doing what he loved.” 

Learning about the government process involved running for city, county and state offices for the girls. 

Toney gave a campaign speech to her city and was elected city mayor; she also read all the girls’ names as they graduated from Girls State. 

“The experiences were scary and fun at the same time. I didn’t expect Girls State to have such an impact on my life. It was one of the hardest weeks I’ve ever had, but it was such a rewarding experience,” she said. 

Mullen also was surprised by her experience, she said. “Girls State wasn’t something I was sure I wanted to attend. It was overwhelming trying to campaign; I had to take risks meeting people and choosing what offices to run for,” she said. “It was a nerve-wracking experience because I am not very good at public speaking, but I was elected sergeant at arms.”

A major accomplishment at Girls State for Mullen was learning about the government and political process, she said. “I feel confident now about them.”

Among the speakers at Girls State, Lt. Governor Spencer Cox stood out for Mullen. “He talked about the importance of women in government and how they need to be strong and represent the changes they want. Women can’t count on men to understand their situations and change them; women need to take charge themselves,” she said.

Prior to Girls State, Mullen was cynical about patriotism and focused more on the problems of the country, she said. “After this week, I learned we really do need the military to protect our country. The flag retiring ceremony was really emotional and reverent; as the flag burned we saw the imagery of the stars in the flag with the stars in the sky.”

The flag-burning ceremony at Girls State follows the proper protocol through which American flags are retired.