Both Green River High School students attending the 76th session of American Legion Auxiliary Wyoming Girls State felt the experience reassured them of becoming active community members.
Seniors Mary Harris and Abigail Alcorn recently attended Girls State, which was a week-long event hosted at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne.
According to a press release, upon arrival, the girls are assigned to different “cities,” where they live during Girls State. During the program, which is operated in accordance with the basic laws of the State of Wyoming, delegates elect their own city, county and state officials and learn the duties of the various offices; introduce and pass their own bills in the Girls State legislature; make and enforce ordinances regulating their cities; and manage their own police force to administer justice.
At Girls State every student holds a definite, integral role in the functions. Harris and Alcorn also had the chance to meet government officials, community leaders, military members and veterans who presented their perspectives on processes and operations.
Harris said her favorite part of Girls State was having the opportunity to learn about the government through participation.
Each person at Girls State has the opportunity to run for whichever office they wanted. “The process was really difficult,” Harris said. “You had to give speeches and you didn’t have a lot of time.”
“It was kind of crazy,” Alcorn said about the process.
Harris was one of a handful of girls who were able to obtain the goal they set out to.
Harris wanted to become a U.S. Senator and she was. Prior to that, she was elected the Meadowlark City Water Commissioner.
“I just felt honored,” Harris said. “Everyone there is so high caliber and have done great things.”
Harris also left Girls State with a $1,200 scholarship from Samsung. Harris said the application process for that particular scholarship was highly involved.
In Alcorn’s first meeting, the girls were asked who wanted to run for mayor. Alcorn said she would have to give a speech right on the spot, usually she’d shy away from this, but she and three others raised their hands.
“I surprised myself,” Alcorn said.
After being voted into office as mayor, Alcorn set her sights on becoming a Supreme Court Justice, however she was up against 13 other talented girls and didn’t receive the appointment. When that didn’t pan out she was asked to write a letter to the Girl’s State governor for whichever state director’s position she wanted.
“It taught me first hand how it all works,” she said.
Throughout the process Alcorn and Harris acted as citizens, voters, candidates, officials and policy makers. Alcorn selected the Department of Health director position and got it. She was also named the Nationalist Party Corporations Platform Committee chairman, and later obtained the title of Senate Floor Leader.
“I thought it was amazing,” Alcorn said. “We’ve all leaders in our schools. It’s empowering.”
Alcorn said this experience showed her the processes used for elections and appointments. It also taught her the importance of voting because in some cases one vote made the difference.
Someday Alcorn would like to serve her community by possibly being elected to a local school board or serving on various local committees. Both Harris and Alcorn wanted to encourage other GRHS juniors to look into the Girls State program.
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