Two Kootenai County students to participate in American Legion Auxiliary Girls Nation

One wants to go into the medical field.

The other wants to someday preside over court as a judge.

Both of the local young ladies who will participate in the American Legion Auxiliary Girls Nation in Washington, D.C., are ecstatic about broadening their horizons and having a government experience at the national level.

"I am feeling so honored and kind of like I cannot believe this is real,” Post Falls 17-year-old Lola Barron said Tuesday.

"I am really looking forward to seeing different perspectives that aren’t from just North Idaho," she said. "It will be good to see the diversity of our country; it’s not just North Idaho and Montana. I'm looking forward to seeing the issues that we wouldn't even think about up here."

The incoming Post Falls High School senior and incoming Coeur d'Alene High School senior Annika Hain were elected by their peers during the American Legion Auxiliary's 78th Idaho Syringa Girls State in Nampa in June to advance to Girls Nation, which begins Saturday and concludes July 26.

Of all the girls who participate in Girls State, only two per state are chosen to represent their respective states in the national program.

Jan Powell, treasurer and Girls State chair for the Athol American Legion Auxiliary Unit 149, has been helping to coordinate local girls' participation in Girls State and Girls Nation for 32 years. She said she can't remember the last time two Kootenai County girls were selected to represent Idaho.

“I think it's fantastic that they get to go,” Powell said. “It's a big deal because kids learn exactly how government works. It's a hands-on situation instead of reading it out of a history book."

Marilyn Ayers, Post Falls American Legion Auxiliary Unit 143 Girls State coordinator and member-at-large, said it's huge that two local young ladies will have this experience.

"It’s about honor to our country," she said. "It's a way to honor our veterans."

About 25 girls from Kootenai and Bonner counties attended Girls State; 17 from Athol, Spirit Lake, Rathdrum and Coeur d’Alene were sponsored by the Athol Auxiliary, including Annika. Lola was sponsored by the Post Falls Auxiliary.

"It is really important to educate young people about the Constitution and the government," Annika said Wednesday. 

The state and national programs immerse students entering their senior year of high school into the exploration of elections and policy making through mock legislature, government structure and more. 

“I was actually the 'mayor' of my city, which was actually pretty fun,” said Lola, who plans to pursue a career as an OB-GYN doctor.

"It was so incredibly awesome," she said. "All of my city members, I love each and every one of them. We became so close during the week."

Annika said she thrived in her role as a mock supreme court chief justice, "which was literally perfect, that's what I want to do."

"It definitely made me realize I want to be a judge and go in that direction," she said.

At Girls Nation, Lola and Annika will meet other young women from around the country and be introduced to the innerworkings of how America functions at the federal level. They will also see the White House and engage with elected officials.

"This gives them a chance of finding out how government works, from the president down to dog catcher," Powell said.