The four delegates to Girls’ State pictured above are, from left, Mia Zarate from McLeod, and from Atlanta Kaitlyn Munoz, Ella Stewart and Lucy Ransom. Standing next to Lucy is Ella’s mother Amy Stewart, who was a Girls State Citizen in the summer of
Teaching youth the privileges of being American
Each year, Atlanta’s American J. E. Manning American Legion Post 258 does something that not even the larger posts do. That is, it sends from four to eight youths to Boys State and Girls State.
This year, four local 11th grade students were treated to an expense paid trip to the 2025 Texas Bluebonnet Girls State at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, TX, June 1521.
Last Thursday, the four girls reported on their activities by speaking to the post, parents and friends. The four were Mia Zarate from McLeod High School, and Kaitlyn Munoz, Ella Stewart and Lucy Ransom from Atlanta High School.
“The purpose of Boys and Girls State is to help teach the privileges, duties and responsibility of. being an American citizen,” said post member Clifton Trusty who is coordinator for the activity. “We simply must tell of the opportunity for 11th grade students, then gather the money during the year. To send the four this year probably required funds of about $2000.”
“We select 11th grade students so that they will return for their senior year and help promote the program and other things they have learned,” said post member Michael Steward.
Steward continued by pointing out, “Whenever we go to a report meeting, we hear all the other legion posts when asked how many they sent to Boys and Girls State, they respond, ‘Oh, one or two.’ We get to say four or more and that could even be eight perhaps.”
These two events are a week-long training institute in government held for some 800 outstanding high school students. The delegates are placed completely in new cities in which they do not know anyone and must win respect and election to office entirely on merits they display.
“It’s one of the best things we do year in and year out,” said another post member.
“But we couldn’t, and don’t, do this alone. It seems the whole community wants to help.”
“I learned more about government in one week than my so far years in school,” said one of the delegates in her remarks. “It also was a lot of fun,” she said.
Both Trusty and Steward said the post wants more boys and girls to sign up and go to Boys and Girls State.
“If a student who is going to be in the 11th grade will contact us to see what is necessary to go, we’ll be happy to help,” Steward concluded.