BUCKEYE BOYS STATE |
BUCKEYE GIRLS STATE |
TESTIMONIALS FROM PAST
GREEN HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDEES Zach Schreckenberger (2013) My Buckeye Boys State experience was one that I will quite honestly never really forget. It was something that you can’t really comprehend in your mind before you attend. As you know, the whole idea of the week is a mock state government that is completely run by qualified boys from across the state of Ohio. Immediately, from the moment you get to Boy State, you’re meeting all new people. There is a close-knit group of boys that make up your mock “city.” This is the group you hang out and work with once all of the elections are over. The beauty of the program is that—since all participants need to fill a job—you can pretty much set out to be whatever you want. I wanted to be in the General Assembly since before I even left for Boys State in Bowling Green, Ohio. Running for Congress wasn’t easy, and I learned how the campaign and election process works within the different facets of government (city, county, state). We had to give many little speeches to persuade other participants to vote for us, which was kind of cool. I lost some things, for instance I ran for minority party leader in the Congress but ended up being an assistant to the minority whip. You learn so much about the politics, operations, and entire nature of state and local government. Also, there are so many other opportunities there. For example, I was the delegate from our city to our party’s state party convention, where we developed the party’s platform. In addition, being in the Congress, I was able to write bills and serve on committees, which was a great deal of fun. A bill I personally wrote actually went through the entire process and received the Governor’s signature and became a law at Buckeye Boys State. I got to meet Ohio and United States Senators and Congresspersons, and even Governor John Kasich. It was simply a blast. I still keep in contact with my friends from Boys State that I hung out with the most or worked with. I was also in the Buckeye Boys State Band, which only met for like a hour before performing to the entire Boys State population for the first time. The Band was a hallmark of the entire week personally. I was able to meet even more cool people and participate in a band comprised of great players from all over the state. If you’re at all interested in government, politics, finance, law, public speaking, law enforcement, public service, voting, elections, and practically everything you can think of that is involved with running a state for a week, Boys State is for you. It is a great experience that not only you learn from, but it also looks great on college apps. You should seriously consider attending Buckeye Boys State this summer; it’s a life-changing and incredibly fun experience. Isaac Lampner (2013)
It's really hard to explain to someone what boy's state is like without them going but it was a really great experience. They do a great job simulating the state and local government. When you arrive you're assigned a dorm room and you and everyone on your floor become a city. From here you're split into two parties and elections begin at all levels. Everyone gets a job in one of the branches of government, these range from police officer to state legislation. When work begins you really get to see how the government functions and get a fairly comprehensive understanding of your position. I realize that may not sound enjoyable unless you're really interested in the government but it really is. You meet a lot of people and personally I made some great friends I still talk to daily. On top of all that this looks great on any application. I've put this on everything I've applied for and at this point college is only going to cost me $4000 a year including room and board, I've been directly accepted to my major and I was admitted to a highly exclusive leadership program. I strongly believe that Boys State had a lot to do with that considering my academic credentials aren't nearly as remarkable as the majority of AP students. I would definitely recommend participating in the program if you have the opportunity. David Hartsook (2013)
My "job" for the week was being a part of the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, and I ended up writing a lot of bills to propose to the governor mainly dealing with rules for rehabilitation for the imaginary people of our state. I learned a lot about the structure of state and county government, and most importantly I learned a great amount about working with people you have never met to accomplish a task that you are equally as unsure of. I had an absolutely incredible time there meeting new people, and everyone I talked to was remarkably nice. There's a lot of fun stuff to do there, and I really can't describe how great the experience was for me. There's definitely a lot of confusion and stress during the week, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. Since then, I've been in touch with a lot of people I met there. So, it's something that you should definitely take advantage of if you have the chance. I was not particularly looking forward to it prior to going, but it was a life-changing experience. Ricky Lovell (2013)
Boys State was perhaps the best overall week of my life. I was the park and recs director of my city. The first half of the week was all about campaigning for the desired office you were seeking. You had to build support networks and raise funds. If you were not running for office you had to attach yourself to the person you expected to win either on the local, county or state level and hope to gain an appointment from them if elected. Unfortunately I was attached to the guy who came in second for Governor thus I had to seek a city appointment. You are given a lot of freedom in how you want to handle your job. The entire experience really depends on what you put into it. I choose to attempt to build a multi-purpose stadium in our city. I had to go through the process of seeking approval from our city council and then I had to get State funding. This required me to run all over different state agencies making my pitch which was eventually successful. While I enjoyed the "job" aspect of Boys State the best part was the relationships built with the twenty five members of my city. We knew nothing about each other on day one, but I feel as close to them today as I do my best friends. As a result I know have friends all over Ohio. It also taught me a lot about people. The first thoughts I had about many people ended up to be completely wrong. I also learned how lucky I was to have the lifestyle I do as many others came from difficult situations. The Legion does a great job teaching about American Principles as well. They brought in guest speakers at the nightly assemblies such as Governor Kasich who shared thoughts on life and growing up. Obviously, I am a pretty Liberal person but I don't think that personal politics affect the experience at all. I was amazed at the level of respect everyone held for differing opinions. We also had the opportunity to meet several military heroes and hear their stories. That week taught me an entire new level of respect for our military and flag. I honestly did not want to come home after the week, but I have stayed in touch with many of my fellow Boys Staters. It also opens the door to some scholarship opportunities as well as serving as a great talking point in interviews. While the program does teach you about the complexity and value of connections in government, I believe that the growth I made as a person will be the most significant thing I will carry with me in life even if my career has nothing to do with politics. |
TESTIMONIALS FROM PAST
GREEN HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDEES Rachel Crowl (2014) I just wanted to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to attend Buckeye Girls State. I had a lot of fun while I was there and really enjoyed learning about the campaigning and voting processes, especially since it helped me to realize the importance of being informed on issues and why voting is something that everybody able should participate in. Just wanted to let you know that it was an enjoyable/ educational experience and that I appreciate the reccomendation that led to my attendance. |