“A week that shapes a lifetime”

By Shari Harris, Publisher

Two Licking students spent seven days of their summer attending Boys State and Girls State at Lindenwood University in St. Charles. The American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary sponsor and select students for the leadership program. High school students who have completed their junior year are eligible for the program. This year, Josh Wade and Jasmine Smith were selected. The two high school seniors recently sat down to discuss their experiences and wholeheartedly agreed that they would recommend to others that they attend the program.

Boys State and Girls State are now held at the same time and on the same campus, however, much of the activities remain separate. Throughout the weeklong event, students learn the fundamentals of citizenship, government and politics by building their own communities. Each dormitory floor becomes a city, with government officials elected and other job positions applied for and filled by students. Cities combine into counties, again with elected officials, and counties into a state. Classes, assemblies, work and other activities fill their days, with Josh and Jasmine sharing that late nights were the norm.

Josh Wade was elected as Sheriff of Barton County, which consisted of two cities, Lewis and Clark. The classes he attended were directed toward law enforcement. Speakers included an FBI agent, two Missouri State Highway Patrol officers and a private investigator. His job aligned directly with his future plans of going into law enforcement. Educational and inspirational assemblies were also held, and many included Boys and Girls State students. Josh said a speaker he found to be inspirational was Anthony Robles, an NCAA Division I wrestling champion who was born with one leg.

Jasmine Smith applied for and was chosen to work as a journalist during the program. She had to create 20 advertisements per day. Jasmine also found her classes to be very educational. Speakers in her classes included a man who filmed documentaries and several people who work for newspapers. One of the special speakers at Girls State was Jenna Bush Hager, the journalist and daughter of President George W. Bush.

Counselors were available for each city and were very supportive. A member of the Licking Class of 2025, Ethan Domenech, attended Boys State last year and did very well in the program. He returned as a counselor this year.

Many scholarships were handed out during the program, and recipients were voted on by the cities. Eight finalists, four boys and four girls, were selected to attend Boys and Girls Nation in Washington, D.C.

Though they were busy with classes, their jobs, assemblies and activities every day and often well into the night, they both felt they could have done more.

“I regret not participating as much as I could have,” Josh said, and Jasmine agreed. They encouraged others to do everything they could if they attended the program.

In addition to the classes and work involved, there is also time for fun and for forming lifelong relationships. Josh described his arrival at Boys State as walking into a room with 60 people you don’t know, and at the end of it, you feel like you’ve known them forever. Jasmine agreed, saying that everyone cried when they left. Both have remained in touch with several of the people they met in the program.

“If you get the chance to go, just go,” Jasmine said. “I’m so glad I went.”