Senior Summer Series: Part Four - Arkansas Girls State

September 13th, 2018

girls state pic

Senior Summer Series: Part Four - Arkansas Girls State 

Shiloh Christian has participated in Arkansas Boys State and Girls State programs for over 25 years and more students participated this year than any other year.  We sent 20 high school students from our campus to be a part of the exciting and educational week.  Thirteen young women attended Girls State at Harding University from May 27 – June 2 including, Alex Bottorff, Maddison Darr, Morgan Himmer, Bebe Houser, Autumn Kennedy, Karlie Ramsey, Delaney Price, Faith Lymburner, Sarah Dilatush, Rachel Brooks, Allison Lee, Hattie McDonald, and Kade Lloyd. 

 

American Legion Auxiliary Girls State is a nonpartisan program that teaches young women responsible citizenship and love for God and Country. Since the inception of the national Girls State program in 1937, nearly one million young people have had the opportunity to learn first-hand how their state and local government works.  The ALA Girls State program in Arkansas, is a program planned to provide citizenship training for young women of high school age; to afford them an opportunity to live together in mythical cities and counties as self-governing citizens; to inform them about the duties, privileges, and participation in the functioning of their government; and to help them grasp the meaning of some of the responsibilities which they must assume when they become adults.  The delegates elect their own officials, organize their own legislature, and have official visits with their respective counterparts in the Capitol.

 

Bebe Houser has been around political debates and watched political documentaries since her childhood.  Her mom is a political science teacher.   She had several friends going to Girls State this year and knew it was going to be a week of leadership development.  Bebe gained friends and favor quickly in her Girls State city and was elected to Secretary for the Federalist party.  Following her first election, she decided to run for State Senator.  She won the election, and with her office, she was able to meet current State Senators at the Capitol at the end of the week.  While she was in Little Rock, she was impacted by her interactions with Senator Flowers.  She was able to propose a bill concerning adoption and foster care that was approved, and the impact she saw she could make with a bill has made her interested in taking a few political courses.  She was able to improve her debate skills, and she learned the value of working with opposing parties and other students who don’t have a Christian worldview.