Illinois Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) presented three students with citizenship awards for their participation in Girls State and donated $1,000 for the MHS Girls State candidates. The donation will underwrite registration fees for students attending this year’s Illini Girls State and will support two students for the 2024 Illini Girls State convocation.

Girls State, sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary, is a national week-long civics program for high school juniors that features simulated local, regional and state government operations including political parties, election campaigns and guidance through the legislative process.

More than 300 girls participate statewide in Charleston at Eastern Illinois University; two are elected State Senators from each state to attend Girls Nation in Washington, D.C. In the past seven years, Mundelein High School  has sent two students to the nation’s capital for Girls Nation.

Participants this year are MHS seniors Nataly Cisneros, Imelda Gomez and Diya Patel. Gomez was elected to the Girls State House of Representatives and the legislation she authored to standardize Girls State communication was enacted. Cisneros earned a spot as Election Judge and Patel opted for the City Chairwoman role.

Students who participate in this selective program are sponsored by a local American Legion Auxiliary unit. Arlene Lolley, President of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 867, Mundelein, conducts outreach for MHS Girls State candidates. Financial support also comes from  Mundelein Community Bank and William W. Meyer & Sons, Inc. MHS Literacy Center Specialist Hope Babowice coordinates the Boys and Girls State programs at the school. Counterpart programs Boys State and Boys Nation are sponsored and funded by American Legion Post 867, Mundelein.

Caption: From L-R:  Arlene Lolly,  Senator Adriane Johnson, Diya Patel, Nataly Cisneros, Imelda Gomez, Principal Alexandria Rios Taylor and Hope Babowice.