Participating in the U.S. political process isn’t easy as recent history demonstrates, but the American Legion’s Boys and Girls State programs groom select high school students across Mississippi to do the job and assume future leadership roles.
Four Wesson High School (WHS) boys recently completed the Mississippi Legion’s Boys State program May 26 to June 1 at the University of Mississippi at Oxford and six WHS young ladies followed them there June 9-15 for its Girls State program.
The Local American Legion Post 79 WHS contingent included Wayne Miller, Trevor McCree, Michael (Chase) Britt, Ben McKenzie, Avery Anna Watts, Lana Nhem, Cailley Duplantis, Mary Gwyn Hynum, Abbey Berch and Addison Morgan.
Both Boys State and Girls State programs are run by and sponsored by The American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary. Youth attendees are the elite of the elite in their respective schools and are our future leaders.
In the programs, participants learn about citizenship, Americanism, national, state and local politics; teamwork; speaking in public, among other things. Every young man and woman attending Boys State and Girls State returns with a higher respect for making the U.S. a great nation. One student from each of the programs is selected to attend Boys Nation or Girls Nation, with a trip to Washington, D.C.
For more information, visit http://www.msboysstate.com or http://www.legionALA-aux.org/ala-girls-state or follow each on Facebook.
Girls State Attendees from Wesson Attendance Center (WAC) are (front row left to right) Avery Anna Watts, Lana Nhem, Cailley Duplantis and Mary Gwyn Hynum. Not pictured are Abbey Berch and Addison Morgan. In the back row are Auxiliary Unit 79 members Sharon Langley, Past President; Sara Lassiter, Auxiliary Department Chaplain; and Kim Whittington, current Unit 79 President.
Boys State Attendees from Wesson Attendance Center (left to right) with Wesson Legion Post 79 Commander Bobby Thornton (center) are Wayne Miller, Trevor McCree, Michael (Chase) Britt and Ben McKenzie.