Special to Iredell Free News

The Hurst Turner Unit #65 of the American Legion Auxiliary in Statesville has selected two students who will attend the 84th session of ALA Tar Heel Girls State, being held June 11-17, at Campbell University in Buies Creek.

Attending this year’s session from Statesville are Ashley Anderson from West Iredell High School and Jocelyn Mills from Crossroads Arts and Science Early College.

ALA Tar Heel Girls State is a leadership development program for rising high school senior girls to learn how government functions by creating their own state.

Program participants organize their local governments and develop two fictitious political parties with party platforms, campaigns, and conventions. The week culminates in the election of a slate of state officers to govern their newly created state. Citizens draft bills and resolutions to be voted on by their new state’s General Assembly. The installation of state officers, a variety showcase, engaging speakers, and a college fair are some of the highlights of the week’s activities.

ALA Tar Heel Girls State is sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary Department of North Carolina. All 50 states have a Girls State Program. Begun in 1939, North Carolina’s Girls State program has the distinction of having the longest, continuously running Girls State program in the nation as it did not suspend the program during WWII as all other states did.