By Riona McKersie
The Girls State and Boys State programs were created by the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary to increase civic engagement and basic knowledge of the way state and national governments work, in high schoolers. This program is held across all 50 states, in which local American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary posts select delegates—who are rising high school seniors—to sponsor in the program.
In order to increase civic engagement and knowledge of governmental systems, four fictional towns are created, in both Girls and Boys States. Delegates have the opportunity to elect town officials, and work together to solve issues facing their respective towns, such as budgetary and planning and zoning issues. The towns for the 2025 Connecticut Girls State program were Crawford Crossing, Grasso City, Merritt City and Scullyville. The towns for the 2025 Connecticut Boys State program were Adams, Lincoln, Polk and Washington. Each of the four towns elects seven delegates to the House of Representatives, and f ive delegates are elected to the Senate. After going through committees, bills are debated and passed in the House and the Senate.
Each student is also assigned into one of two political parties—the Nationalists and the Federalists—and from there they will select delegates to run for the positions of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Comptroller and Attorney General.
This year, six students from Greenwich High School were selected by the American Legion Post 29 to go to Girls and Boys State. I know that I can speak for all of the delegates when I say that the experience was truly once-in-a-lifetime, and the skills that we learned through the program are essential to our careers, and to being engaged and informed citizens.
Greenwich High School Girls State Delegates:
Angela Bai: House of Representatives Bill Clerk and Girls State Comptroller
Ambika Jha: Town Treasurer for Merritt City
Riona McKersie: Member of the House of Representatives (representing the town of Scullyville)
Esther Nabisere: Town Mayor for Crawford Crossing and Federalist Party Lieutenant Governor candidate
Ainsley Sahrbeck: Registrar of Voters for Crawford Crossing
Greenwich High School Boys State Delegate:
Gabriel Elezaj: Senate President Pro Tempore
