Sonoma Valley High Boys State, Girls State picks

Sonoma Valley High School juniors Hanna Maillard, Liam Handron and Noah Bartolome will develop leadership skills and an appreciation for citizens’ rights, while representing SVHS in this year’s Girls State and Boys State, sponsored by American Legion.

As participants in the program, students will simulate the U.S. government, running for office, creating laws and learning to speak in public.

Liam Handron and Noah Bartolome were selected for Boys State. Handron expects to learn about the process of governing and the importance of the democracy. He has discussed the experience with senior Miles Pimentel, one of the participant of last year’s Boys State.

Bartolome confesses he is embarrassed about how excited he is to go. Bartolome has heard that Boys State is an unforgettable experience. “It’s an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the U.S. government in a very hands-on way.” He hopes to receive a more thorough understanding of how the average citizen can affect the government. “The people in my class will be able to vote soon, so this knowledge will definitely be useful,” Bartolome explains.

Maddy Libbey, senior, was selected for Girls State the previous year. Libbey recalls that she especially valued the positive atmosphere in which everyone works together. “It doesn’t matter if you are conservative or liberal.”

Libbey discovered the value of collaboration and the strategies of campaigning when running for office. “I (became aware of) my responsibility as a citizen and what I can do for my city. I learned how to not only recognize what my responsibility was, but how to put that responsibility into action.”

Hanna Maillard, junior, was chosen for Girls State after a “competitive selection process,” Maillard relates. The alternate is Grace Cutting, junior.

Maillard anticipates she will learn the varying tasks involved in a democratic government. “I hope to learn about teamwork to accomplish tasks in school.” She has the opportunity to converse with girls across California, while learning skills she can apply to her current studies and beyond.

At State, Maillard hopes to “meet interesting people with exceptional leadership skills and bring back knowledge to benefit the school.”

Amy Stanfield and Eliza Neeley are sophomores at SVHS. This article originally appeared in the SVHS student newspaper, Dragon’s Tale.