Thirty-five years ago, my mom, Vanessa, attended Arizona Girls State. She talked about her memories of staying in the dorms at the UofA, learning about government in an engaging practical way and making friends that she still keeps in touch with today. It was truly a memorable opportunity that she was excited for me to experience.

“At the last minute, I was invited to participate as City Advisor for this year’s event. Now being on the other side of it after all these years, it brought me to tears to have these young women come together to learn more about government, themselves and how to work together. It was refreshing to see that our future is in such strong hands,” says Vanessa.

This year, I was able to represent my high school and attend. It was initially challenging to understand the program but once I got there, it was made clear.

Girls State happens across the United States in each state. It is a civic education program that young women participate in at the end of their junior year of high school and the American Legion Auxiliary sponsors it. It provides a hands-on learning experience where participants, acting as citizens of a mythical state, learn about the functions of government, the duties and responsibilities of citizenship, and the principles of democracy.

I learned how to handle real life problems and situations. Specifically, I liked the mock trial and voting on whether someone was guilty or not in court. Something that really stood out for me was the fact that girls were running the whole thing, not the adults. This was really amazing to see girls my age to be taking charge and acting like adults.

In summary, I had an insightful and great experience and would highly recommend the program. I’m thankful to have been selected as one of the 184 girls across Arizona that had the opportunity and to now be an Alumni of Arizona Girls State.