The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 550 in Pilot Point is encouraging young women to learn about government and beyond.
This past summer, the unit sponsored Pilot Point senior Rachel Smith to attend the Texas Bluebonnet Girls State, a week-long session where young women learned to draft bills, craft speeches and debate legislation.
“We are trying to enable and encourage girls to be involved in legislation and be involved in the government and give them an awareness of what's going on before they get to their senior year because that's when they take civics or government classes,” Micky Nortman said.
The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 550 reaches out to Collinsville, Pilot Point and Tioga high schools.
“We haven't had a candidate go for several years, and we are so excited about it this year because now we have an opportunity to share the information,” Nortman said.
The Auxiliary Unit can sponsor up to six girls per school at no cost.
Smith was one of 628 students to participate in the Girls State 82nd session back in June and was the only participant sponsored by the Pilot Point Auxiliary Unit.
She learned about the program through Kelli Niles, a member of the Pilot Point American Legion Auxiliary.
“I feel like getting in that environment and getting to talk and hang out, and all that stuff is just a really great environment for a lot of teenagers to be in because it'll allow them to grow in exponential ways,” Smith said and thanked the American Legion and Niles for the opportunity.
Nortman explained some of what the jam-packed week is like in this mythical 51st state.
“They have two [nonpartisan] parties, and they'll have candidates run for the various offices, and they'll have inauguration; they'll have speeches, they'll just have a lot of activity going on, and it's all related to political science, so we were really excited to have [Rachel] this year,” Nortman said.
Along with scholarship opportunities, the program also helped the young girls get out of their comfort zones and instilled in them the courage to speak up.
Her mother, Brandy Smith, noticed the change, too.
“It was a great growing experience for Rachel because she is a very anxious kiddo and they did make it easy,” Brandy said.
Although her plans after high school are to enter the veterinary field or related work, the experience taught her ways she could advocate for animals.
“I really liked how they got us to understand both sides of our government on that, like what you can do with just a person, how you can vote, and that you should vote, and then also how you could pass a bill or send in a bill to be passed,” Rachel said.
The Boys State is sponsored by the American Legion, a veterans’ service organization, and Girls State is sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary, “which is the wives, the mothers, the granddaughters of veterans or active duty military,” Nortman explained.
But that will not stop the unit from connecting people to the right resources.
“If there's a boy that's going to come out of his junior year into his senior year and they reach out to us, we will send that information down to Denton because the Denton American Legion does sponsor Boy State,” Nortman said.
She shared that the auxiliary unit is eager to sponsor more young women and get them involved in the program, and encourages people to share the information with friends, family and anyone interested in participating.
If interested, folks can contact Nortman directly, the American Legion Auxiliary members or through their Facebook page at American Legion Auxiliary Unit 550, Pilot Point, TX.
“This is an opportunity out there that's going to cost them nothing, and it's going to help their student become a better leader,” Nortman said.
