Alabama Girls State, which is sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary, is held every summer and allows rising high school seniors to create and participate in mock city, county and state governments. According to an American Legion press release, this year there will be 365 delegates to Girls State from high schools across Alabama.
From June 5-10, the University will host the 74th session of Alabama Girls State. This will be the fourth year in a row the University has hosted the event.
Alabama Girls State Director Stephanie Ortel said Girls State is an opportunity for one girl from each high school to learn about and participate in a democratic government.
“Alabama Girls State is a laboratory experiment of government,” she said. “We take one outstanding girl from every high school across the state and teach them about Americanism, citizenship and we form a mock government where they have political parties and they run for office.”
In addition, Ortel said the University is a great place to have the event not only for the attendees, but for the University as well.
“These are outstanding young women, rising seniors in high school that’ll soon be making college decisions, and I’m sure the University likes having them on campus so that they can see the campus and get familiar with the campus, and many of them, I’m sure, will consider coming to the University,” Ortel said.
SGA President Lillian Roth, a junior double majoring in political science and public relations, attended Alabama Girls State in high school.
Roth was one of two girls selected from AL Girls State to attend Girls Nation, the national version of Girls State, and because of this was offered a position as a Girls State staffer the following year.
Since that time, she has worked for Mary Lee Caldwell, assistant director of the Blackburn Institute and campus liaison to Alabama Girls State. Roth helps with the logistics between the University and AL Girls State.
This year, Roth will continue in that role but also work as a Girls State counselor.
Roth said she decided to come to the University because of her experience at Alabama Girls State on the University campus. Her counselors were Alabama students.
“I thought they were rock stars, and so many Alabama alums came and spoke to us throughout the week about their career paths and how they’ve done since attending Girls State, and I was excited about that as well,” Roth said.
She believes Girls State is a great opportunity for the attendees who have not decided which college they will attend to see the University.
This years Girls State will have speeches from notable Alabama politicians including Lt. Governor of Alabama Kay Ivey, Congresswoman Terri Sewell and State Treasurer Young Boozer. Author Susan Baker, wife of former Secretary of State James Baker III, will also speak.
For further information on Alabama Girls State, visit alabamagirlsstate.org.
