Belpre City Schools was well represented at this year’s Buckeye Girls and Boys State. Buckeye Boys State and Buckeye Girls State are premier programs that give outstanding high school juniors a hands-on experience in government and leadership. Sponsored by the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary, respectively, these week-long programs immerse students in the inner workings of city, county, and state government through simulations, elections, and debates. Students also have the opportunity to hear from prominent leaders and forge lifelong friendships with fellow delegates. We are grateful to the Belpre Area Veterans and Belpre American Legion Auxiliary Post 495 for the generous support which covered the full cost of the experience for our students. The AMVETS Post 1788 was also instrumental in securing the financial support.
Junior Evan Matheny reports, “Last week, I had the honor of representing the Belpre Area Veterans (sponsored by Ladies Auxiliary Unit 495) at American Legion Buckeye Boys State at Miami University. While there I learned about city, county and state government. During this time, I was elected to city council and together we wrote a number of ordinances for our Boys State city. I also had the opportunity to participate in the Buckeye Boys State Band, during which we played a variety of songs at evening assemblies. Lastly, I was selected to play Taps during the memorial service honoring fallen Buckeye Boys State Servicemen. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone. I met a lot of interesting new people and made many new friends."
Junior Jasmine Wright stated, “This year I attended the 74th Buckeye Girls State. It was a week of early mornings, late nights, and many unfamiliar challenges. But it was also a week of breakthroughs, new friends, and stepping out of my comfort zone. In just one short week I not only expanded my knowledge of the government but gained friends and experiences that will last a lifetime. During my time at Girl State, I served on the Governor’s Cabinet and had the privilege of being appointed as the Director of Legislative Affairs. In this position, I was the direct liaison between the governor and the House, Senate, and Cabinet. I learned about policy-making, proposed bills to the House and Senate, and helped further the governor's initiatives. Buckeye Girls State was a journey of personal growth that will undoubtedly shape my future endeavors and inspire me to continue to make a positive change just as I was encouraged to do while there.”
The experiences of Evan and Jasmine at Buckeye Boys and Girls State exemplify the Belpre City Schools’ Portrait of a Graduate and our aspiration to foster leadership and civic engagement among our students. Thank you again to the amazing civic organizations that helped to make this possible for our students. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and look forward to seeing how they continue to make a difference in their community and beyond.