By Elizabeth Lorenzo, ’17
What are the elected offices in state and national government? What does a party chairman do? Where’s Napoleonville, Louisiana, and Freeport, Illinois? Several months ago, I had no clue, but after my unforgettable experiences this summer at Louisiana Girls State and Girls Nation, sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA), I now know the answers!
Louisiana Girls State is a week-long program on the Natchitoches campus of Northwestern State University. Senior high school students from throughout Louisiana learn about state government by creating fictitious cities and parishes and electing government officials. Maggie Duplantier, Laney Thomson and I were chosen from St. Mary’s Dominican High School to attend. What a week! I was pushed out of my comfort zone and met girls from across Louisiana who became my lifelong friends. I learned about parliamentary procedure, the roles of different public officials, how to run for office, and how to write effective speeches.
Two girls from each state are selected as “Senators” to attend Girls Nation in Washington, DC. I was one of two girls chosen to represent Louisiana. The other representative was Kate Landry of Baton Rouge. My week at Girls Nation was wonderful. As a Louisiana Senator, I met girls from all 50 states and learned about the many different cultures, religions and political beliefs that make up our great nation. Each day we held mock Senate sessions and elections and toured our national monuments. My favorite day was Capitol Hill Day when we met with staffers from the offices of Senators Bill Cassidy and David Vitter. We also toured the United States Supreme Court and the Library of Congress.
There were several guest speakers at Girls Nation. One was Holocaust survivor Nesse Godin who was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp at age 13 and liberated from captivity at age 17 when the war ended. She went through a terrible time in her life, but she made it through, and now she encourages others to love and not hate.
It was an honor to represent St. Mary’s Dominican High School at Girls State and Louisiana at Girls Nation. Through my experiences, I gained a new appreciation for the liberties that we enjoy because of the sacrifices of others. I am so proud to be a citizen of Louisiana and the United States of America.
St. Mary’s Dominican High School senior Elizabeth Lorenzo (standing, third from left) joins fellow participants at Girls Nation with guest speaker and Holocaust survivor Nesse Godin (center).
St. Mary’s Dominican High School senior Elizabeth Lorenzo (left) and Kate Landry (Baton Rouge) during a session at Girls Nation.