A look at the history of Girls State

By Mikaela Neubauer

As Girls State approaches on 70 years of existence in South Dakota, let us take a moment to look back on the history of Girls State.

World War II had just ended and patriotism was at its highest point. The American Legion Auxiliary of South Dakota decided that a program was needed to teach girls and boys the importance of citizenship and their patriotic duty. During the inaugural year of Girls State in 1947, one would find more Marys than Madisons in the group of 117 delegates and girls would be admiring women like Rita Hayworth and Ginger Rogers instead of Taylor Swift and Beyonce.Girls would be wearing rayon dresses and Oxfords rather than maxi dresses and Toms.

Delegates would be traveling to Mitchell and spending their week at Dakota Wesleyan University, not knowing that the program they were participating in would continue for almost seven decades and would grow exponentially.

Flash forward to today where we, as women and future leaders, have the honor to gather together and learn about our role in democracy and about ourselves as people.

It may not seem like much, but for nearly 70 years, girls, not unlike us, have had the chance to learn how to make a difference. Although we, as women in 2015, have more freedom and equality than our predecessors, we are still learning the same timeless lessons of government, leadership and friendship.

While politics are seen as a male dominated profession, Girls State encourages us young women to aim high and gain a better understanding of our government. With this motivation, more young women see a future in politics as attainable and even as a career path they may want to follow. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, 1988 South Dakota Girls State governor, was our U.S. representative from 2004 to 2011. Sandlin was on Time’s 40 under 40 list in 2010 and now is an assistant professor at South Dakota State University, finally fulfilling her dream to teach others about the realm of politics.

It is crazy to think that in a few years, teenagers like us are going to be out in the real world. It is even crazier to think how far each of us is able to go with the knowledge and values we will have learned from our week at Girls State. No matter what your interest may be, whether in politics or in a completely unrelated field, the instruction we receive here will give us ammunition to take on the real world and all of the seemingly insurmountable endeavors in it.

When a tradition, such as Girls State, has the ability to span so many decades and still have such a powerful impact on girls today, you know that it is valuable. From 1947’s governor, Mary Ann Chaloupka to today’s Lizzie Spier, one can see a tradition of excellence in all that the delegates do.

Girls State is not just another “thing” to add to your college application, and it is not just another way to fill up your summer. This week at Girls State is the one chance girls like us have to build lasting relationships with other ambitious peers and to learn the skills that are necessary to become leaders that will build a brighter future for both South Dakota and our nation as a whole.