American Legion Post 555 sponsors two local high school students for Girls State

American Legion Post 555 sponsors two local high school students for Girls State

Karen Neilson and Lisa Nguyen, seniors at Garden Grove High School and Westminster High School respectively, just returned from a weeklong travel/study program designed to give them firsthand knowledge about how their state and local governments work.
They were sponsored by Post 555 in Midway City as part of the national American Legion’s 58-year-old Girls State Auxiliary program, designed to teach young women “responsible citizenship and love for God and country.”
To be selected for the honor, the students from high schools throughout California must demonstrate academic excellence and be recommended by their teachers and counselors. After a week of study in Sacramento and working together as self-governing citizens, two of the students are then chosen to attend Girls Nation in Washington, D.C.
There they will be “senators” for a week, when they will run for political office, campaign for the passage of legislation, and possibly meet with state representatives, senators and even the president at the White House.
Students who will be seniors in 2016 can learn more about the program at www.americanlegionpost555. The post is located at 14582 Beach Blvd., Midway City, CA 92655. Phone: (714) 893-9525. Email: americanlegionpost555@gmail.com.