We’ll step Off the Field to take a closer look at some of the Republic students who are competing in non-sports activities. Our report is brought to you by State Farm Agent Sarah Rader. Talk to her about how you can save money by combining your home and auto insurance.by Olivia Skeans
Republic Senior Makenzie Tyson was selected as one of two out of those who attended Girls State to represent Missouri at the American Legion Auxiliary Girls Nation in Washington DC over the summer.
Around 800 students attended this year’s Missouri Girls State. On the first day of the program, students are asked to submit a piece of legislation that they write up themselves. Judges read the legislation and narrow it down to the top 25 students who could potentially qualify to move on to Girls Nation.
From there, the top eight are selected through a six-minute interview process, followed by a Miss America-style question in front of an audience of a thousand people. Tyson explains, “One at a time, we each got the same question, we just couldn’t hear the previous answers before us. We had to answer that question, and then we had to go straight into another interview, which was pretty intense…a lot more intense than the first interview.” The final two students were chosen to move on to DC.
Girls Nation is a program designed to introduce high school students to the workings of the federal government. The girls participated in Senate sessions with the legislation they introduced in Girls State and had the opportunity to sit down and talk with lawmakers.
“We did get to go to the Capitol and meet with Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt and sit down with them and have talks about legislation and different types of things. We got to meet with their legislative assistants and who all helped them with their portfolios,” Tyson says. “The next day, we got to go to the White House and tour the White House and the executive office and meet Mike Pence. That was my favorite part of Girls Nation, for sure.”
While the competition to get to Washington was fierce, Tyson says she would do it all over again.
“I definitely would recommend Girls State–Girls Nation most definitely, that was one of the most life-changing experiences I’ve ever had–but I would recommend Girls State to all juniors going into their senior summer. Definitely, definitely try it out.”