The participants of Georgia Boys State & Girls State were honored at the American Legion & Auxiliary meeting on Sept 12th. Held in the National Guard Readiness Center, the meeting began at 7 p.m. with a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and rollcall. Then, the student participants who were able to attend the meeting spoke about their experiences, thanked the sponsors, and were honored with certificates.

Out of the 30 students in Forsyth who were chosen, five were from Lambert. Asia Murray and Hannah Kim were two of the 13 girls from Forsyth, while Arnold Hong, Avery Dekshenieks, and Colin McCormick were three of the 17 boys selected from the county.

Students during the spring of their junior year are eligible for the leadership and citizenship programs. They must be nominated and undergo an interview process before they are selected. They are interviewed, selected, and sponsored by the American Legion (for Boys State) and American Legion Auxiliary (for Girls State). For a week during the summer, the selected participants from all over Georgia attend Girls State on the Georgia Southern University campus and Boys State on the Riverside Military Academy campus. They learn about how the government functions by running for positions at different government positions, voting, and passing bills in the Girls or Boys State Congress.