Amanda Ursini, BCMHS 1

Amanda Ursini

Buckingham Charter Magnet High School

American Legion Auxiliary Girls State

20 January 2017

Questions

1. Yes, I had heard of American Legion Auxiliary before I was nominated for this program.

I am friends with Juliana Galavan, who attended Girls State last year and is our school’s

representative. I talked with her about it when school returned in August, and she

described to me what a great time she had. I also have discussed Boys State with my

friend Julian Perkins, who attended the session in Sacramento last year. He told our AP

Spanish class how he was able to run for a position in the mock government. Through

both of these experiences, I had an idea of how the actual session worked.

2. Yes, I have heard of the Girls State program. As I stated, I’ve talked about it before with

Juliana Galavan. After I found out that I was nominated, I asked her about the application

process and how best to prepare for the interview. She gave me the best advice of being

myself and letting my passion for what I believe in to shine through.

3. I think that I would like to attend the Girls State Session because I am interested in

learning more about local/ statewide government and how I will be able to participate,

both now, and when I am able to vote. Government is very important to me, as I believe

that every person can make a difference. I’d like to see myself in a role of leadership and

test my boundaries as a leader. It is important to me to maintain an open mind and an

open outlook on life, and with people from all areas of California present, I’ll be able to
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see how things are when I’m not seeing them from my vantage point. In short, I’d like to

attend Girls State to further my knowledge and my ability to lead.

4. Yes, I am very interested in Government. I believe that everyone should be, as it affects

everyone in their daily lives, either on a small or large scale. For instance, the new tax on

bags at stores was a proposition that was passed in November. As it affects everyone,

everyone should be aware of all that the proposition includes and how it will modify their

shopping experience, and the environment. Being aware of the decisions and imminent

decisions of our government is very paramount.

5. I do not know that I “like” taking a leadership role, but I do see the benefits of it. For

instance, my anxiety often is an obstacle in obtaining leadership, thus it is not always a

pleasurable experience. I do , however, see the necessity of being in a role of leadership

and the results it has on other people and/or outcomes. I often step up to the role of

leadership because even though I know it’ll be nerve wracking, I am aware that I am

qualified to be the change that I wish to see.

6. I am involved in many activities, however, not many of them are in school. For instance,

my job is to tutor children, which helps them with their schoolwork, but not necessarily

mine. My job and my volunteer hours often take up a lot of my time, as well as extra

classes at Solano Community College, and time to do my homework and study for the

SATs.

7. If selected, I do agree to attend the entire Girls State Session from Monday, June 26 to

Saturday, July 1, 2017.

8. I feel very privileged to be a citizen of the United States. Not many people have the

freedoms that we are provided with, and for that I am very grateful. However, I do agree
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that there are some things about our country that could be improved. For instance, private

prisons could be improved/demolished. As they profit when their prison is full, it is

encouraged throughout our justice system to enforce stricter sentencing for criminals

under trial. I do not see this as a completely fair process. Another thing that could be

improved within our system of government is the ability for corporations to pitch

potential laws to members of congress. Such laws are often geared to benefit them, as

they would profit from these potential laws/ regulations. An aspect of our political system

that has been discussed much lately is the involvement of the Electoral College. Recently,

it has been a hot topic due to the results of our most recent election. In theory, the

Electoral College sounds like a beneficial way to vote for our highest-elected office.

However, in practice, it is the opposite. As a vote in Wyoming is worth more than a vote

in California, the process does not yield all votes as equal, thus not being very

constitutional. All in all, as with any country, there are things that have been so deeply

rooted in our country’s history that it would be difficult to operate without them, such as

the electoral college and the criminal justice system. While it would be difficult to wholly

remove them from practice, maybe it would be more beneficial to slightly modify them

so that all Americans are indeed created equal.

9. As I touched on in question 8, I do believe that there are things within our justice system

that could be improved. For instance, private prisons profiting off of a full house, and

large companies being able to suggest laws that would benefit them. An issue that has

also been a hot topic lately is unproportional jail time. For instance, Brock Turner, who

raped a woman, served 6 months in prison. The average for rape is three years. However,

he was a wealthy boy in Stanford who was involved in sports. The sentence does not
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equate to the crime. Another issue is disproportionate jail time in terms of race. For

instance, a black person in America who is guilty of the same crime as a white person

will spend more time in prison than the other accused. All of these issues are not new to

the justice system, nor will they dissipate quickly. As they have been embedded for so

long, it will also take a long time to fix.

10. No, I do not currently have a handicap.

11. I feel like I am adequately equipped to handle competition, pressure, and losing.

Throughout my life, I’ve never really been the person who wins all ofthe time. And that’s

okay. For me, the most important thing is that I gave it my all and I made myself proud.

12. As a young woman beginning my continuation of education, I believe that there are

characteristics that are vital to surviving and succeeding. Some important characteristics

include, but are not limited to, integrity, perseverance, determination, compassion, and

humility. Living on your own and obtaining an education is not easy, so it is very

important to have determination to reach your goals and the perseverance to continue

trying, even after failure. It is important to have integrity to know where you stand, and to

continue to fight for what you believe in. Compassion and humility go hand in hand, as

you need to be able to be there for others, and humility for when you need to put others’

needs above your own. With these qualities, I believe that success is available if you are

willing to put in the effort.

13. The Girls State Program registration fee of $75.00 will not be a problem for my family.