Julia Smith Selected as PCA’s Girls State Representative

Last week, Julia Smith represented Prattville Christian Academy at the 2023 American Legion Auxiliary Alabama (ALA) Girls State session at Troy University. This week-long leadership program is focused on teaching responsible citizenship, leadership, and love for God and the country. “Troy University and Girls State share the mission of developing and equipping the next generation of leaders for our state, nation and world,” said Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor (Troy Today).

Rising female high school seniors are competitively selected to attend Girls State and sponsored by ALA to participate in a mock political process of electing officials for all levels of state government and actively running a government as a part of the “Federalist Party” or “Nationalist Party.”

Hear more about Julia’s first-hand experience during the program below.

“Participating in Girls State was a life-changing experience that equipped me with the skills and confidence to stand up for my beliefs. In some ways, my experience was indescribable.

I was very nervous going into the week since I wasn’t familiar with the program or who I would be grouped with. However, once it concluded, I came away with 18 new best friends from across the state and an outpouring amount of encouragement from fellow delegates.

Along with learning more about state and local government, I witnessed amazing speakers like Governor Kay Ivey and United States Senator Katie Britt, both leaders in their time of participating in Girls State.

I also learned proper flag etiquette, celebrated my friends who were elected, and gave many campaign speeches myself. I will forever remember this week and the memories that I made during it. As I go on into my future career, I want to use the skills and confidence I gained to help others know that their voice matters and encourage them to know what they believe and why.”