Around this time last year, I began hearing announcements to apply for Palmetto Boys State and Palmetto Girls State, a leadership and government education program for rising high school seniors. 

I applied to Girls State and was extremely fortunate to be selected. I had heard of Boys and Girls State, but I didn’t know anyone who had done it before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. 

What I and my fellow delegates found was the week of a lifetime.

“I can’t compare it to anything,” said Boys State delegate Kaden SanSouci. “It’s a totally different experience.”

Upon arrival, delegates are assigned to cities composed of 25-35 other students from around the state, along with junior and senior counselors. 

These cities are the building blocks of Boys and Girls State. Cities hold the first elections, cities travel to assemblies and sit together, cities sit together at the parade at the State House, and cities forge the strongest friendships.

“I loved getting to know the girls and being able to hang out and make friends with girls all over the state and create cities,” said Girls State delegate Clara Gramling. 

For some, the city is the highlight of their experience.

“I loved the city,” said Girls State delegate Shailah Proctor. “(I loved) the family, everyone being together.”

During the week, delegates learn about different levels of government: city, county, county party, state party, House and Senate, and Constitutional. After hearing real people in those roles talk about their experiences in assemblies, students get to run for office themselves. 

While running for elected office may be a big step out of your comfort zone, it’s also a major part of the Boys and Girls State experience and a step well worth taking.

“I normally wouldn’t get up in front of a bunch of people and talk, but even I was running for elections,” said Gramling. “It was a lot of fun.”

An added part to the fun is learning how to give impromptu speeches. 

“For me, I’ve always felt that I could get up and speak in front of large crowds with no problem, but these speeches have time for preparation,” said Boys State delegate Camden Souther. “At Boys State, I would have to do a speech in front of hundreds with a speech that I wrote up a short period before. Boys State just helped me work better on the spot efficiently and just go with the flow.”

Delegates who are elected to positions have special opportunities throughout the week. At Girls State, for example, all city mayors were invited to a breakfast with a local mayor who was speaking at the morning assembly.

“My favorite part (of Boys State) was definitely the party platform committee meetings,” said Boys State delegate Adam Moore. “(I) was selected to be a part of our party’s legislature, and we were tasked with coming up with concepts for laws and bills that we could pass, ultimately moving other delegates to vote for our party.”

In my case, I was elected to the House of Representatives. All House and Senate members participated in mock sessions at the real House and Senate chambers in Columbia, passing and debating bills we created and amended.

Of course, there are other activities besides elections that delegates can participate in. 

Girls State offered a choir, quiz bowl, and the County Olympics, where all counties came together to compete in various games and sporting events. 

Boys State, on the other hand, offered choir, band, quiz bowl, and various sports tournaments.

At the end of the day, however, my fellow delegates and I found that even though running for office and participating in all the other events were fun, those memories weren’t the ones we looked back on once the week ended.

“Even though it is about government, it didn’t focus nearly as much as I thought it was going to,” SanSouci said. “It was a lot more about the people and trying to come together with the people of the city and other groups.”

If anyone reading this is considering applying to Boys or Girls State, our answer is unanimous: do it. Apply.

“(I would) most definitely recommend applying,” Proctor said. “You’ll have lots of fun, and it’s a really big group and a big family, but even though there’s a lot of people there, you’re still going to make this little city and it’s so fun.”

All delegates agree that Boys and Girls State is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet people and experience moments that you can’t find anywhere else.

“It will be one of the most memorable experiences you will have in your whole life,” Moore said. “You will make connections with great people, learn a lot, and make friends that you will talk to long after the week is over.”

For the future Boys and Girls State delegates of Chapman High School, Gramling has some advice.

“Just be open to anything,” Gramling said. “There’s going to be a lot of things that you’re not going to necessarily want to do or be very comfortable with, but it’s definitely worth doing because in the long run, that’s the things you’ll remember, and that’s what makes your experience so good.”

You may be nervous, you may have doubts, and you’re going to have a thousand questions before the week even starts, but remember that it’s all part of the process.

“When applying to (Boys and Girls) State, you’ll have many questions all the way up until the day you get there,” Souther said. “This is what makes the experience so much better. (Boys and Girls) State can’t be explained, but only experienced.”

Juniors, if anything in this article sounds the least bit interesting to you, I would encourage you to apply. Applications are in the guidance office. Apply for the chance to be part of a week that will change your life. I promise, you won’t regret it.