Local student learns about leadership at Girls State

Politics have been all over the news in 2016, and one local high school student has made her own foray into the fray with her election as lieutenant governor—of the fictional state of Hawkeye. During her weeklong trip to the annual Girls State convention in Des Moines, BCLUW senior Summer Kramer learned all about the workings of government and got a firsthand taste of running a campaign.
           
Girls State, which was held from June 12-17 and is sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary, teaches young women about how government works both in theory and in practice, and attendees form their own fictional state—complete with two parties (the Nationalist and Federalist)—with representatives at the local, state and federal levels.
           
“Ever since I took a class when we learned about the amendments, politics and government, I was just really interested, so I thought this sounds like a great opportunity to be immersed in this sort of thing,” Kramer said. “Plus, I got an A in that class, so I thought I could probably do it.”
 
Read more in this week's Grundy Register.