By Crystal Hayduk
After school ended last June, 19 Chelsea High School (CHS) students answered the call to expand their leadership skills.
Dorvia Thomas-Hill, a CHS counselor, said ten rising seniors attended Boys State and Girls State, and nine rising juniors attended MYLead. High school staff nominated students who had solid academic skills along with a positive attitude, good character, respect for others, leadership potential, and an interest in government and public service.
Attending these programs is “… a great opportunity for students to be shoulder-to-shoulder with people outside of Chelsea,” said Thomas-Hill. Students also develop leadership skills and self-confidence through their participation in the events.
Although students paid for a portion of the programming, financial support was also provided through sponsorships from the Kiwanis Club of Chelsea (KC) and the American Legion Post 31.
Bob Milbrodt, KC member, said his group is pleased to help fund students who attend Boys State and Girls State, programs run by the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary. “The students learn how government works, which also improves their citizenship,” he said.
Boys State
Boys State is a weeklong program held each June at Grand Valley State University. It is a non-partisan simulation exercise “… in a model state designed to mirror the structure and operation of its respective state government. It is intended to instill character, the importance of civic engagement and patriotism among rising high school seniors” (https://michiganboysstate.org).
Jack Orlandi was especially motivated to attend after having a positive experience at MYLead in 2023.
Orlandi said the mock government—with fictional political parties—at Boys State is continuous, rather than starting fresh each year. He said the city his group inherited was “a mess. We worked hard to turn things around and ended up being named an honor city.”
Orlandi had hoped to be nominated to run for attorney general, but he lost the nomination. He quickly adjusted his plan, ran for lieutenant governor, and won his party’s nomination. The next morning, he lost the election.
Despite the losses, Orlandi was noticed. The Boys State governor appointed him as chief of staff. “I had never aimed for that position, but my hard work was rewarded. I loved the work and serving as chief of staff. It turned out to be better than I ever could have imagined,” said Orlandi.
“The effort you put into the experience will be the reward you gain when it’s over,” he said.
The other students who attended Boys State were Eric Cameron, David Leschuk, Gus Wehrly, and Kai Ziokowski.
Girls State
Like Boys State, Girls State is a mock government exercise lasting for a week. Girls State was held in June at Michigan State University, with girls attending from around the state.
Hayley Hopkins said students are assigned a city and “party” (Nationalist or Federalist) affiliation upon arrival, but otherwise, students are given a great deal of autonomy to choose their own adventure for the week. She ran for the Nationalist party chairperson, and then mayor of her city.
Hopkins said she learned about planning major events, became more comfortable with public speaking, and had many opportunities to collaborate with others during the week.
Hopkins was surprised about how competitive the mock elections were. “It felt like real government,” she said of the rigorous event.
On the last day of Girls State, the students went to the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing to hear some women in government speak about their experiences.
Hopkins was joined at Girls State by Natalia DeMea, Sonja Schemahorn, Lauren Thompson, and Josie Jackson.
MYLead
MYLead (Michigan Youth Leadership) is a three-day conference held each spring on the campus of Michigan State University. Its mission is “to motivate and enable the youth of Michigan to continuously make a positive impact on their communities through leadership and service” (https://mylead.org/).
After his nomination to MYLead, Christian Gough agreed to attend because he appreciated that his teachers saw leadership potential in him, and he enjoys helping other students, especially in math.
Gough said the leaders did an “incredible job” teaching the students, and he gained quite a few benefits from attending.
In addition to making new friends from around Michigan, he learned the importance of humility in leaders. “If you want to make the world a better place, be humble and help to bring others up,” said Gough.
Loving and caring for those around you are also important characteristics of leaders. “If you see someone struggling, make sure they know you have their back,” he said.
Other students who attended MYLead last spring include Brooklyn Angel, Everett Critchfield, Charlotte Doma, Mireille Hunter, Amelia Fulton, Mckenna Mahony, Ella Root, and Benjamin Van Hoek.
