Badger Boys and Girls: (front) Mathew Wilson, Angela Baures, Cassidy Graski, (back) Mason Gay and Geneva Capetillo.

Cassidy Graski, daughter of Todd and Ann Graski, Angela Baures, granddaughter of Leonard and Sharon Baures, and Geneva Capetillo, daughter of Juan and Ana Capetillo, are this year’s Owen-Withee High School representatives to the 2024 session of Badger Girls State. Cassidy and Angela are being sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary Unit #123 of Owen. Geneva is being sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary Unit #547 of Lublin. Badger Girls State will be held on the UW-Oshkosh campus June 16-21, 2024.

Mason Gay, son of Nick and Desiree Gay and Mathew Wilson, son of Wendy Massie and Michael Wilson are this year’s Owen-Withee High School representatives to the 2024 session of Badger Boys State. Mason is being sponsored by the American Legion Post #123 of Owen and Mathew is being sponsored by the O-W Lions. Badger Boys State will be June 9-15, 2024 on the UW-Eau Claire Campus.

These students were selected as Badger State citizens on the basis of their scholarship and leadership qualities and will have completed their junior year of high school in June. They will join more than 550 other girls and more than 700 other boys from all over Wisconsin to form the mythical state of Badger modeled after our Wisconsin government. Badger State citizens are divided into two political parties to gain knowledge about the operation of a two-party system. The citizens participate in these instructional political parties, and elections are held to fill city, county, and state positions. Activities include legislative sessions, campaigning, party rallies, debating and voting.  The citizens also receive special instruction in parliamentary procedure. Badger State gives participants the experience of living together as self-governing citizens with the privileges, rights, and responsibilities of American citizenship. Learning by doing is a primary goal of this American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary program in Americanism.

Badger State citizens become eligible for numerous scholarships and for the opportunity to attend Girls Nation or Boys Nation in Washington, DC.

Congratulations to this year’s representatives from Owen-Withee High School to Badger Girls State and Badger Boys State.