What Brought Delegates to Boys and Girls State

Now that we are here, it is obvious that Boys & Girls State is a special program. However, before our buses arrived in Sacramento State, most of us had no idea what to expect and had different reasons for choosing to become a delegate.

Addison Carey, a delegate from the city of Shick in Cenoz County, only knew about the program through a former delegate at her school. In her hometown of San Clemente, Boys & Girls State is known as the “best kept secret” because most students have no idea what it is. However, once Carey was familiar with the program, she immediately knew she wanted to go. She “really wanted to learn how the government works hands on.” Now that she’s here, Carey has been getting the most out of her experience by “learning to push out of [her] comfort zone” and make connections with new people, something that she hoped to do at Boys & Girls State.

Kelly Kaufman is a lawyer from DeVault City in Haley County who has co-created Women in Law, a private law firm, since her arrival in Sacramento. Social media such as TikTok and Instagram exposed Kaufman to the Boys & Girls State program and the opportunities it creates for delegates. Upon hearing that she could learn more about “public advocacy and politics,” Kaufman was intrigued in the program. At Sacramento State, Kaufman dove into the experience and threw herself into the running for Supreme Court Justice. The campaign process itself taught her the “importance of connections with people” because it is “their lives you make better” when you are elected a position. As she continues on after this week, Kaufman ensures she will take this learning experience with her.

While delegates heard about Boys & Girls State through various ways, each one got here because they wanted to learn, to prove themselves, and to lead. This program is one of a kind because it allows for each citizen to shape themselves individually in their own way and on their own merit, paving the way for California’s future. 

Written By: Emily Ota

Published By: Faid Kassim