Boys Nation

Members of the 2017 Boys Nation meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House[1]

Boys Nation is an annual forum concerning civic training, government, leadership, and Americanism that is run by the American Legion.[2] One hundred Boys Nation Senators are chosen from a pool of over 20,000 Boys State participants, making it one of the most selective educational programs in the United States.[3][4]

Each year, two delegates in the summer after their junior year of high school are selected from each of the fifty American Legion Boys State programs in the United States (Hawaii does not host a Boys State however Washington DC does).[2][4] These delegates attend a week-long event in Washington, DC funded by scholarships.

The event endeavors to teach delegates about the processes of the Federal government of the United States by establishing a mock Senate and organizing mock elections of a Boys Nation Senate President Pro Tempore, Senate Secretary, Vice President, and President. Senators also attend lectures and forums, and visit governmental institutions and historical sites. Tom Brokaw and former president Bill Clinton were previous Boys Nation senators.[5] It is a tradition for the student senators to take a private tour of the White House and be received by the current president. Boys Nation senators also ordinarily receive private tours of the United States Supreme Court, the Congress, the Pentagon, and the State Department, several senators have also met with the incumbent president, including Donald Trump in 2017.[6]

Students assume the role of a United States Senator, representing their respective (Boys) State. They write and introduce bills and debate in the senate chambers. Delegates are split into political parties and draft a party platform as well as perform usual party duties like nominations for president and vice-president, along with elected party leadership.[4] For 2024's session, Morgan Johnson was elected president.[7][8]

The American Legion Auxiliary runs a similar event called Girls Nation.[9]

List of Boys Nation Senators

2024 - 78th Session[10]
State Senator High School
Alaska Cole Smith Eagle River High School
Alaska Inca Shannon North Pole High School
Alabama Rohan Parekh Vestavia Hills High School
Alabama Soloman Arnold Horseshoe Bend High School
Arkansas Chance Bradford I Mills University Studies High School
Arkansas X'Zaeviun Sims Pine Bluffs High School
Arizona Andrew Johnson
Arizona Timothy Jiang
California Chad Smith Jr. Philips Exeter Academy
California Matthew Chang Woodbridge High School
Colorado Dominic Dogue
Colorado Rowan McCune
Connecticut Ariq Rahman Masuk High School
Connecticut Langtian Zhang Wilton High School
D.C. Max Dunn Gonzaga College High School
D.C. William Wittwer Jr.
Delaware Kieran Morrissey Delmar High School
Delaware Quinn Murphy Cape Henlopen High School
Florida Bernardo Guidi American Heritage School Plantation
Florida Samuel Zhang Coral Reef Senior High School
Georgia Benjamin Blackwood The Walker School
Georgia Grant Pool North Cobb Christian School
Iowa Jacob Bishop
Iowa Matthew Hardy
Idaho Paul Anderson
Idaho Joshua Williams
Illinois Eshaam Bhattad Stevenson High School
Illinois Ishaan Bhonagiri Stevenson High School
Indiana Cole Ramsey Western Boone Jr.-Sr. High School
Indiana Daniel Leffert
Kansas Aidan Lessard
Kansas Alexandro Garcia
Kentucky Grayson Beckham St. Xavier High School
Kentucky Jexy Sohl
Louisiana Christopher Johnson Jr.
Louisiana Barrett LeBon Airline High School
Massachusetts Simon Farruqui Milton Academy
Massachusetts Luke Organisciak Andover High School
Maryland Charan Bala River Hill High School
Maryland Julien Halleman Broadneck High School
Maine Tristen Wing
Maine Jack Fenton
Michigan Samuel Baghdadchi
Michigan Isaiah Kabban
Minnesota Tucker Fournier
Minnesota Lonne Gilbert
Missouri John Honnold
Missouri Arjun Garikapaty
Mississippi Lindan Garner I
Mississippi Braden Overby
Montana Lane Chivers
Montana Michael Peck
North Carolina William Drake Woods Charter School
North Carolina Abel Dees
North Dakota Rhett Lindell
North Dakota Nader Said
Nebraska Grant Ruma
Nebraska Nikolai Khots
New Hampshire Trevor Abel Bow High School
New Hampshire Marco Getchell Lebanon High School
New Jersey Levi Schiffer Delbarton School
New Jersey Jack Haid Chatham High School
New Mexico Carroll Andrei Santiago
New Mexico Faris Aswad
Nevada Aaron Sebastian
Nevada Armand Iorgulescu
New York Nolan Reinhardt Elwood/John Glenn High School
New York Thomas Marrapodi Christian Brothers Academy (Albany, New York)
Ohio Alejandro Ramirez Sylvania Northview High School
Ohio Rudi Gross Coldwater Highschool
Oklahoma Michael Cameron
Oklahoma Morgan Johnson Wagoner High School
Oregon Ian Xia Jesuit High School
Oregon Nathan Bender Oregon Episcopal School
Pennsylvania Peter Kennedy Chester B. Reed Henderson High School
Pennsylvania Anthony Speicher Ambridge Area Senior High School
Rhode Island Garrett Kirwin
Rhode Island Ian Butash Mount Saint Charles Academy
South Carolina Charles Ratterree
South Carolina Jackson Spafford
South Dakota Joseph Juenger
South Dakota Blixa Broussard
Tennessee Yug Patel
Tennessee Brock Tobler
Texas Yosef Herrera The Science Academy of South Texas
Texas John Fahoum Carroll Senior High School
Utah Cash McFadden
Utah Crew Durrant
Virginia Tate Jordan Gainesville High School
Virginia Oliver Muhlenfeld Benedictine College Preparatory
Vermont Grey Fearon
Vermont Ricardo Perez
Washington Levi Hanscom
Washington Mitchell Natale
Wisconsin Matthew Goninen
Wisconsin Oscar Danz
West Virginia Tyler Garbrick
West Virginia Haden Hodge
Wyoming Hunter Tanner Kelly Walsh High School
Wyoming Casey J Toner
2023 - 77th Session
State Senator High School
Alaska Grady Eule Eagle River High School
Alaska Patrick Omey Marine Military Academy
Alabama Landon Bruski Madison County High School
Alabama Thomas Fleming Home Schooled
Arkansas Harrison Henry Fayetteville High School
Arkansas Tanner Holden Benton High School
Arizona Ghais Redmon Jr. Tempe Union High School District
Arizona Chase Hoel Pusch Ridge Christian Academy
California Daniel Zhao Flintridge Preparatory School
California Hugo Chiasson Geffen Academy at UCLA
Colorado Richard Bosch Liberty Common School
Colorado Siddharth Nareddy Peak to Peak Charter School
Connecticut James Murano St. Joseph High School
Connecticut Daniel Pichardo Newington High School
D.C. Mustafa Baryal Stafford Senior High School
D.C. Jackson Wilson St. Albans School
Delaware Guillermo Cabrera Cab Calloway School of the Arts
Delaware Alexander Budd First State Military Academy
Florida Benjamin Black Ponte Vedra High School
Florida Siddarth Rama Cypress Bay High School
Georgia Anant Gautam South Forsyth High School
Georgia Hillis Kopecky The Westminster Schools
Iowa Param Sampat Cedar Falls High School
Iowa Andrew Dong Iowa City West High School
Idaho Luke Gilliam Bishop Kelly High School
Idaho Hoyoon Song Bishop Kelly High School
Illinois Donovan Scott Sacred Heart-Griffin High School
Illinois Patrick Weaver Cary-Grove Community High School
Indiana Jayden Seaton University High School
Indiana Bahar Djour Westfield High School
Kansas Creytin Sanner Junction City High School
Kansas Adiel Garcia II Spring Hill High School
Kentucky Caiden Thompson Warren Central High Senior
Kentucky David Daniel II Owensboro High School
Louisiana Joshua Blake Lakeshore High School
Louisiana Braylin Broussard Lafayette High School
Massachusetts Renby Fernald II Middlesex School
Massachusetts Edward Mukalazi Andover High School
Maryland Sangwoo Park Northwest High School
Maryland Jonah Woo Marriotts Ridge High School
Maine John McCormick Cape Elizabeth High School
Maine Matthew Ewy Kennebunk High School
Michigan Michael Bryant Saline High School
Michigan Lachlan Imfeld Dexter High School
Minnesota Jacob Bigalk Rosemount High School
Minnesota Davarius Wade Park High School
Missouri Andrew Puthumana Rockhurst High School
Missouri Aidan Heaney Hermann High School
Mississippi Jimmil Taylor East Central High School
Mississippi Hiram Eastland IV Oxford High School
Montana Rhenee Bandola Judith Gap School
Montana Scott Voigt Gallatin High School
North Carolina Tucker Coombs Harnett Central High School
North Carolina Jacob Evans Cary High School
North Dakota Alexander Ternes Legacy High School
North Dakota Patrick Shen Davies High School
Nebraska Nayan Vel Millard North High School
Nebraska Porter Nelson Lincoln Southeast High School
New Hampshire Akshay Manchanda Manchester Central High School
New Hampshire James Thibault Winnisquam Regional High School
New Jersey Dillon Dukes Kingsway Regional High School
New Jersey Christopher Gorman Moorestown High School
New Mexico Francisco Villa-Lopez West Las Vegas High School
New Mexico Eric Rodriguez Mora High School
Nevada Ethan Nguyen Advanced Technologies Academy
Nevada Matthew Martinez Valcher Damonte Ranch High School
New York Cole Bjornson Susan E. Wagner High School
New York Ian Chung Vestal Senior High School
Ohio Ronald Spears II Theodore Roosevelt High School
Ohio Ethan Young Theodore Roosevelt High School
Oklahoma Asher Patel Holland Hall School
Oklahoma Smith Langum Bethany High School
Oregon Langston Kaptur Central Catholic High School
Oregon Morgan Stutrud Stayton High School
Pennsylvania Arjun Ray Groton School
Pennsylvania Alex Chen West Chester East High School
Rhode Island Matthew Donahue Mount Saint Charles Academy
Rhode Island Aidan Simao Coventry High School
South Carolina Aidan Dong Dreher High School
South Carolina Braden Freeman J.L. Mann High Academy
South Dakota Max Altena Lincoln High School
South Dakota Austin Jenkins Frederick Area School District
Tennessee Mohib Ahmed Maryville High School
Tennessee Landon Bull Seymour High School Senior
Texas Venkata Yenuganti Newman Smith High School
Texas Rowen Hamilton Smithson Valley High School
Utah Colby Stone Northern Utah Academy of Math Engineering and Science
Utah Carsen Cooper Desert Hills High School
Virginia Palmer Van Zandt James Monroe High School
Virginia Clint Ellison Benedictine College Preparatory
Vermont Kallen Zborovsky-Fenster Burr & Burton Academy
Vermont Edward Fallis Middlebury Union High School
Washington John Culligan Oak Harbor High School
Washington Nadir El Yaddasse Seoul Foreign School
Wisconsin Ruben Mendes Germantown High School
Wisconsin Henry Pahlow Denmark High School
West Virginia Christian Arnold Notre Dame High School
West Virginia Samuel Dodson Bridgeport High School
Wyoming Jhett West Sheridan High School
Wyoming Caleb Greenlee Cheyenne South High School

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ^ Mark, Michelle. "White House photographers took thousands of photos during Trump's first year in office — here are the top 40". Business Insider. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  2. ^ a b "About Boys Nation | The American Legion". www.legion.org. Retrieved 2017-04-05.
  3. ^ Goerger, Tammy. "A Guide to Boys and Girls State". College Vine. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "Hurricane student to represent West Virginia at Boys Nation". AP NEWS. 2021-11-28. Archived from the original on 2023-06-20. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  5. ^ "Bill Clinton and John F. Kennedy: The Story Behind Their 1963 Handshake". Biography. 2020-05-26. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  6. ^ Guild, Blair (July 26, 2017). "Trump praises his election as "a pretty amazing moment" in history". CBS News. ViacomCBS. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  7. ^ Media, Griffin. "Wagoner High School Senior Elected President Of Boys Nation Summer Program In Washington D.C." www.newson6.com. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
  8. ^ The American Legion (2024-07-24). "Oklahoma Student Elected President of American Legion Boys Nation". KWKT - FOX 44 (Press release). Retrieved 2024-12-17.
  9. ^ "As more women run for office, these teenagers represent the future of civic engagement". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  10. ^ "Boys Nation Legislation". American Legion. Retrieved 25 June 2024.