Members of the American Legion JE Lanier Post 27, Richmond Hill, have selected Gustavo Gonzalez, a Richmond Hill High School JROTC cadet, to attend this year’s Boys State program.
Post Commander John Ellis said, “During his selection interview Gustavo demonstrated confidence and poise under pressure and his ability to articulate his vision for his future through service to our country The members of the interview committee are confident he will represent Post 27 and the 1st District well at Boys State and make us all proud to know him.”
Upon his selection, Gustavo commented, “I am both humbled and proud to be representing Post 27 at Boys State. I am looking forward to meeting people from across the state and look forward to the hard work ahead.”
Georgia Boys State is a comprehensive one-week course in state and local government and is a program of the American Legion Department of Georgia. The date for the program is June 12-18, 2022 and will be held at Gordon State College in Barnesville.
It is a “leadership action program” where qualified male high school rising seniors take part in a practical government course. It is designed to develop a working knowledge of the structure of government and to impress upon the citizen the fact that our government is just what we make it. Along the way delegates can learn the political process by organizing a mythical 51st state. Each level of government is run by those delegates who are elected to serve. Instruction is presented on the law and court system, parliamentary procedure and Georgia political history.
Applicants for this program must be interviewed by the Local American Legion Post that will sponsor them for the weeklong program.
“Gustavo is our first candidate in three years, primarily due to the pandemic," Ellis said. "We hope to send more candidates next year and would like to sponsor a female student to Girls State which is a similar program conducted by the Department of Georgia American Legion Auxiliary. Both programs allow for participants to apply for the Samsung American Legion Scholarship, and we would like to send sponsor a Girls State Candidate in the future.”
High school juniors who will attend an American Legion Boys State or Auxiliary Girls State program this summer may be eligible for a higher education scholarship.
The Samsung American Legion Scholarship is available for high school juniors who participate in the current session of American Legion Boys State or Auxiliary Girls State and are direct descendants (or legally adopted children) of wartime veterans eligible for American Legion membership.
The Samsung scholarship awards up to $10,000 for undergraduate studies (e.g., room and board, tuition and books). Each applicant is selected according to his or her involvement in school and community activities, academic record and financial need.
The scholarship is restricted to high school juniors participating in the current session of Boys or Girls State. Youth who participated in either program the previous year cannot apply or reapply for the scholarship.