Selections have been announced for the American Legion Cornhusker Boys and Girls’ State.
Boys selections to the annual event to be held on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will be Blake Schrage and Brett Kinney.
Schage, sponsored by American Legion Post 229, is the son of Al and Lisa Schrage of Petersburg. He attends Pope John XXIII High School and is active in Junior Right-to-Life, a member of the school pop committee. Other activities include football, wrestling, track, and musical as well as parish activities.
Schrage’s hobbies include sports, fishing and outdoor activities.
Chosen to attend Boys State from Elgin High School, was Brett Kinney. The son of Tom and Connie Kinney of Elgin, he is being sponsored by the Elgin Community Club. Brett has been involved in football, wrestling, track, quiz bowl, FFA, one act and the National Honor Society.
According to Legion Commander Gary Hoefer, the alternate for Boys State will be Alex Pelster, the son of Bill and Lynette Pelster of Petersburg.
They will join nearly 400 other high school juniors from across the state participating in Boys State which will be held June 2-8. Sponsored by the Nebraska American Legion, Boys State is designed to provide youths with a better understanding of how city, county and state governments operate. It is set up as a functional “51st state” and each participant learns how government subdivisions operate by actually doing the job.
Participants will campaign for offices, hold elections, take part in band and chorus, compete in athletics, and be involved in other varied activities as part of the citizenship training program.
They will set up their own state government and draft bills.
Special lectures and addresses will be delivered by experienced public officials and professional leaders including Governor Dave Heineman and Supreme Court Chief Justice John M. Gerrard. National acclaimed motivational speaker JoAnne Owens-Nauslar is also scheduled to address the group.
Girls State Selections
Representing Elgin as delegates to Cornhusker Girls State will be Mallory Fangman, a junior at Pope John Central Catholic High School and Ivy Prater, a junior at Elgin Public School.
Fangman is the daughter of Bill & Ginni Fangman of Petersburg and attends St. Bonaventure Parish. Among her many activities are volleyball, FFA, wrestling statistician, musical, Junior Right-to-Life and EMHC. Her hobbies include cake decorating, cooking, water skiing, camping as well as hanging out with friends
Prater is the daughter of Tracy and Cindy Prater of Elgin. She is involved in volleyball, basketball, track, dance, one-act, speech, band, choir, FCCLA, PALS and the Nebraska’s NRECA Youth Leadership Council Delegate. Ivy was recently selected to be on the Governors Youth Advisory Council.
She is also a member of the Junior Auxiliary and the National Honor Society. Ivy has been on the honor roll throughout high school.
Alternate to both Mallory and Ivy is Madison Voborny.
A junior at Elgin Public School, she is the daughter of Stan and Wendy Voborny of Elgin and has one sister, Taya. Madison stays active in volleyball, basketball, track, FCCLA secretary, one-act, Spanish club, cheerleading captain, choir, and band.
Voborny is also the junior class vice president, has been an honor roll student throughout high school, and was inducted into the National Honor Society her sophomore year.
Since Girls State began in 1939, millions of high school aged young women have had the opportunity to experience our country’s democratic form of government.
According to Rita Wagner of the Elgin Legion Auxiliary, the young women who attend Girls State participate in debates, campaign for office, attend party meetings and legislative sessions, vote and make friendships which will last a lifetime.
The 2013 session of the American Legion Auxiliary Cornhusker Girls State will be held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln the week of June 2-8.
