Girl's State offers leadership skills and friendships

SALT LAKE CITY — Girl’s State is an opportunity for high school juniors to develop an appreciation for their rights as citizens, to learn leadership skills, to meet public officials, and new friends. Girls’ State was held at Southern Utah University in Cedar City June 2-7.

Each year during the month of June, thousands of high school students gather on college campuses throughout the United States for a week-long citizenship training sponsored by the American Legion. For more than 60 years, the nation’s largest veteran’s organization has given high school juniors the opportunity to learn first-hand how their state and local governments work through its auxiliary’s Girls’ State and Boys’ State programs.

Participants create a fictional state where they run for office, elect public officials, create and enforce laws, and actively participate in all phases of running a working government modeled on their own local, county, and state governments.

For the past nine years, the Catholic Woman’s League (CWL) has been a strong advocate for the participation of young women from our Catholic high schools in this program by offering scholarships. This year, Kristi Brown and Erin O’Brien were the two delegates to attend Girl’s State from Judge Memorial Catholic High School. Juan Diego Catholic High School and Saint Joseph

Catholic High School were unable to participate because of scheduling conflicts.

Brown and O’Brien are now seniors at Judge Memorial, are honor roll students, served as captains of the varsity cheerleaders as juniors, and both are members of the school’s dance company, in which Brown is an officer. Both girls showed leadership experience in being chosen as delegates.

Brown wanted to go to Girls’ State so she could learn about the government as much as she wanted to meet new people.

"When I first arrived, I was overwhelmed with how many girls were there," said Brown. "But once we met our roommates and were put into our cities it was really fun.

"Our daily activities included listening to public officials such as the state attorney, Cedar City’s police chief, and Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr.," said Brown. "Gov. Huntsman said he became intrigued about the government when he learned about it in school, and decided that is what he wanted to do with his life."

Brown explained there are red and green offices at Girls State. A girl can hold as many green offices as she likes, but there are only 20 red offices, and you can only be elected to one such as the city mayor, county board member, and governor. These positions become your responsibility. Brown was elected as a city council woman and a state delegate.

"As a city councilwoman, I learned she has opinions and is the voice of the people," said Brown. As a delegate, I voted for the candidate my city had chosen."

Brown said now that she will soon be 18 years old and able to vote, she is interested in the new presidential election, our economy, the social security crisis, and the price of gasoline. She is concerned about how the war in Iraq is affecting us.

Due to a recent soccer injury, Brown was told she may never be able to do some of the things she loved. She worked hard to rehabilitate her knee, which influenced her to give constant effort and try that much more to succeed in everything she does.

O’Brien said her father went to Boys’ State and had a good experience, so she thought she would give it a try. She is really interested in the government and realized this experience would enhance her senior U.S. Government class.

"I have been watching the democratic convention on television with my family," said O’Brien. "It has been fun and interesting to watch and hear all of the points of view. I will not be old enough to vote in the next election, but I will be that much more informed.

"I liked listening to former Vice President Al Gore and I agree with him on global warming," said O’Brien. "I think saving the environment is way important. We are not going to be the last generation on this planet, and we have to consider what it will be like for our children and future generations.

"At Girls’ State, I made two really good friends and I still talk to them," said O’Brien. "I had a broken arm, so I was not able to do a whole lot. It was still fun to watch. I was a state delegate and voted how the rest of the citizens in our city decided to vote. I thought it was really cool that they named all the cities after a former governor. Our city was Maw City. They gave us a book that had all of the governors and information about each one of them."

O’Brien said Gov. Huntsman talked about his position as governor and she now has more of an appreciation for what he does. He also recognizes her when he sees her at Judge Memorial football games, and she recognizes girls she met at Girls’ State from other high schools.

"I try to surround myself with good things and good people so I can make the best possible choices for myself," said O’Brien. "Girls’ State was a good choice."