Moorestown High School senior Neeka Vojdani attended the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) Girls Nation in Washington, D.C., where she had the opportunity to debate legislation in Senate sessions, see the government in action at Capitol Hill, gain insight into politics firsthand and serve as a Justice on the Supreme Court.
Moorestown High School senior Neeka Vojdani attended the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) Girls Nation in Washington, D.C. from July 18 to the 25th, making her one of only 102 girls in the United States to attend.
While she was there, she was able to debate legislation in Senate sessions, see the government in action at Capitol Hill, gain insight into politics firsthand and serve as a Justice on the Supreme Court.
“I feel like it really gave me a lot of insight into government and civic engagement as a whole,” Vojdani said. “I met people from (places like) Alaska and Hawaii, and it was really cool to gauge the experiences of everybody because you had individuals coming in from all corners of the country who had their own stories and their lived experiences and their own insights to share, so it was very meaningful to get a perspective from everybody.”
ALA Girls Nation, according to their website, is a weeklong event that gives participants firsthand experience with practical insight into how the federal government works. More than 7,500 students have experienced ALA Girls Nation since it was founded in 1947. Two students are chosen from each ALA Girls State program. The participants are known as “senators.” During ALA Girls Nation, senators participate in mock legislature. They are responsible for submitting bills and resolutions, participating in senate sessions and electing officials such as president and vice president. Participants leave ALA Girls Nation with leadership lessons for life and an understanding of the fundamentals of the U.S. government, along with the rights, privileges and responsibilities of citizens.
Vojdani also attended the ALA Jersey Girls State program this past June at Georgian Court University. The ALA Jersey Girls State program is a civic leadership and government program of the ALA for rising senior girls from all areas of New Jersey. During her time there, Vojdani was selected as a Girls Nation Senator, becoming one of only two girls out of the state to represent New Jersey at a federal level.
“It’s really educational, but in a hands-on way,” Vojdani said of ALA Girls Nation. “It shows you how the structure of your state and local government matters, as well as what is going on at a federal level, and it really inspires all the individuals (both the boys and girls who are selected to attend) to engage more in citizenship, leadership, and get involved at any level that they’re passionate about. I would say, for me, it was really impactful in my personal exposure to politics and pursuing that at the college level to some capacity in the future.”
A big part of attending both ALA Girls Nation and the ALA Jersey Girls State program for Vojdani was not just about gaining insight into the political sphere at both events, but it was about the opportunity to make friends who are in the same stage of life from every state throughout the country.
“It was interesting to gain everybody’s different perspectives, and I feel like at the end of the day – more so than just the political experience and insight that we’ve gained – I feel like it’s super meaningful to be able to say that I have two friends in every state in the country.”
Both programs, Vojdani said, granted her a lesson in leadership, both a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of “how our government system works and our responsibility as citizens to be involved, and to always try and pursue public service regardless of what career path you take.”
“It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because I feel like it’s something that will never occur again,” she said.
