The citizens of 2016 Cornhusker Girls State are almost there. One more day stands between them, their graduation and the end of their week together. Friday was a day of celebrations. Citizens celebrated new friendships, new knowledge, and new opportunities. The day began with the introduction of Girls Nation finalists, who were voted upon by the state and left to undergo a strict interview process with the CGS Advisory Board and Directors.

In the meantime, they were privileged to have Senior Counselor from floor three Kathy Mazur speak about her mother in honor of the 75th anniversary of Cornhusker Girls State. Mazur’s mother was a delegate to the very first CGS in 1939. This is the 75th year because due to World War II, Girls State wasn’t feasible and didn’t happen in 1944 and 1945. Even in year one, delegates were sorted into the Federalist and Nationalist parties just as they are now, although they wore scarves instead of lanyards to denote them. The week was held at Camp Kiwanis and included activities like canoeing.

The other speaker in the morning session was Sarah Pogue. She was a past CGS delegate and junior counselor who couldn’t seem to stay away for another year. Pogue discussed with the citizens her experiences at Girls State along with her current internship.  She is an intern to the first lady of Nebraska and is in charge of planning for the Nebraska 150 celebration. Following the morning speakers, citizens were able to watch a mock trial performed by the District Courts before they broke for lunch.

For the afternoon session, citizens returned for the final session in the Nebraska Union, but this time they arrived in casual dress thanks to the generosity of the staff! The afternoon was packed full of presentations and prizes. Delegates heard from Education Director Virginia Nelson about the American Legion Auxiliary Oratorical Contest, witnessed the folding of the American flag by military personnel and listened to officer reports. All state elective officers and public service commissioners spoke about their experiences touring the real offices yesterday, and each mayor gave a State of the City Address. A slew of awards were presented as well, including the city profile achievement award, which went to the city of Hayes. Citizens who did excellently in the government or current events quiz were also honored.

The final prize of the session was what everyone was waiting on: the announcement of the Girls Nation delegates and alternates. Drumroll please… The final four citizens were Caitlin Mann, Ronni Miller, Emma Redinger and Natalie Schieuer, in no particular order. The two who were chosen to represent the state of Nebraska and the two who are alternates will be announced at graduation tomorrow. Once the presentations and prizes concluded, it was time for some special entertainment: a skit written by the senior counselors. They joked about struggles of the week such as navigating the cafeteria, putting phones away and attempting to teach the older counselors snapchat. The skit brought everyone to their feet with a dance party that left all citizens and staff laughing and showcasing their best moves.

The final session of Cornhusker Girls and Boys State occurred Friday night with motivational speaker Scott Backovich. This was his first year at Boys State since he attended in California as a teenager. Backovich approached the evening with a balance of humor and solemnity while he discussed how, as the top leaders in Nebraska, their experiences this week didn’t matter unless they went home, became catalysts and gave what they had to help others. The session closed with a serenade by the Boys State counselors followed by videos from both programs documenting the week. The Boys State video ended with an interesting bit of news… or so they thought. It revealed that in honor of their hard work they would reinstate the Boys and Girls State dance, although it turned out to be a prank. The citizens were rewarded, however, with a mingle session between programs in front of Memorial Stadium!

Today contained endless smiles from delegates and staff alike. Throughout the day they were able to reflect on the new information, experiences and friends they gained this week. Though tomorrow will bring tired eyes and sentimental see-you-later’s, the citizens have confirmed that this was an unforgettable week. In honor of the soon-to-be graduates of Cornhusker Girls State 2016, thank you to the American Legion Auxiliary for sponsoring this enriching program!