Local teen headed to Washington, D.C. to represent Idaho in prestigious youth camp
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MACKAY – A local teen is headed to Washington, D.C. to represent Idaho as part of a national youth program with the American Legion.
George Cecil, 18, of Mackay, is one of two teens from Idaho who was selected to attend Boys Nation, a weeklong camp where two student candidates from each state will be competing for a $10,000 scholarship. This year’s camp is happening from July 23-30 and candidates will be participating in a variety of activities during their trip.
Candidates will learn how the federal government works by running a mock presidential campaign. Each delegate will be divided into two political parties, conduct a party convention, set a platform and nominate members for elected offices. Participants will also write, introduce and debate a bill before a committee. Throughout the week, they’ll get a tour of the White House and other national sites and will be meeting with President Biden or Vice President Harris, along with U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch.
Cecil tells EastIdahoNews.com he’s honored to have been selected for this prestigious honor and he’s looking forward to the connections he’ll be able to make during the trip.
“These are some of the most elite people around the country and I’m looking forward to getting to meet them and work with them,” Cecil says. “I’m really excited for the opportunity.”
The American Legion is the nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization aimed at advocating patriotism across the U.S. According to its website, the nonprofit was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization and has since grown to include nearly 2 million members and 13,000 posts worldwide. There are many posts throughout Idaho, including one in Idaho Falls, Blackfoot and Pocatello.
Cecil, who is a senior in high school, joined his local post in Mackay last year. The inspiration for joining the group stemmed, in part, from his grandpa’s service in the military.
“Our post is really small,” says Cecil. “Since my post is small, we didn’t have any youth so I thought it would be good to join because they need help with whatever projects they’re working on. I just thought it would be a good way to give back to the community and help out.”
After joining the post, Cecil learned the Legion sponsored an education program for youth called Boys State, which teaches high school kids about government on the city, county and state level. Cecil decided to apply and went on to become one of two post members to attend this year’s camp at Gowan Field in Boise last month.
During the camp, participants ran a mock campaign for Governor, passed bills and held an election. Delegates learned parliamentary procedures, how the court system works, and the functions of the three branches of government.
George was voted an Outstanding Citizen during this year’s event and won the position of State Controller. In addition to winning a coveted position at Boys Nation, George was awarded the Samsung Scholarship.
“It was one of the best weeks of my life. I learned so much about parliamentary procedure and how our government and the judicial system works. I highly recommend it for any high school student — boy or girl. It was one of the best things I ever did,” Cecil says.
Winning the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C. was no easy feat for Cecil. He’s been able to maintain a 3.9 GPA while earning 5th place at the Wrestling State Finals earlier this year. He also serves as a volunteer firefighter and volunteers at his local food bank.
“I put in a lot of work to get there. It just must’ve been the hand of the Lord because there were things that happened in my favor at Boys State that are pretty unexplainable,” Cecil says. “I feel pretty unworthy. I never imagined I would’ve made it this far.”
Regarding why Cecil is so involved in his community at such a young age, he says his experience as a homeschooled student has given him a different perspective than most teenagers and he wants to make the most of his time.
“I feel like the teenage years are really a good opportunity to really prepare for your future. I have so much time compared to the rest of my life. Most teenagers just squander that time and I want to use it for something productive,” he says.
Cecil doesn’t know where he wants to attend college and hasn’t yet decided exactly what he wants to do for a living, but he’s leaning towards something business-related. He’s currently taking classes at the College of Eastern Idaho to get a few college credits under his belt before he graduates.
After his experience at Boys State, Cecil says he is also considering going into politics.
“I cannot begin to express how valuable this program is to the education of our youth and the future of our country. The Legionnaires have truly continued their service to our country by sponsoring and holding this camp. I would like to encourage any high school junior to apply to attend this program,” Cecil says.
The name of the other Idaho student accepted to Boys Nation is Nathan Badger from Boise. Cecil and Badger join a prestigious Boys Nation alumni that includes former President Bill Clinton, Governors Chris Christie and Scott Walker, along with Senators Mike Lee and Tom Cotton. Notable Boys State alumni include Tom Brokaw, Michael Jordan, Rush Limbaugh, Jon Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, Neil Armstrong, Roger Ebert and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.