Conatser "keeps the promise"

By Isabelle Swanson

Cornhusker Girls State is an opportunity for young women all across Nebraska to come together, learn about government, find life-long friends and discover a little about themselves along the way. None of this would be possible without the generosity of the American Legion Auxiliary.

The American Legion Auxiliary is a group that supports veterans and works to fulfill their needs. The Auxiliary units of Nebraska have sponsored the students attending Girls State by donating the $375 registration fee.

The dorm the citizens stay in represents the whole state. Each one of the eight floors represents a town, and the towns are named after the presidents, chronologically from bottom to top, rotating each year. This year, the towns were named after presidents Pierce through Arthur. The building is divided in half, and four floors represent a county.

Floors two, three, four, and five are one county that is named after the National President of this benevolent organization, Sharon Conatser. Her initial eligibility is through her father, Clay Lofton, an Army veteran who served in both World War II and the Korean War. Rick Malloch, her son and Desert Storm veteran, and Marty Conatser, her husband, Vietnam-Era veteran and past National Commander of The American Legion, also make her eligible. Her close ties with the military make the root of her passion for this cause clear to see.

On the American Legion Auxiliary Facebook page, she can be seen traveling across America to meet with units and individuals who are incredibly dedicated to the cause. She is doing her part to spread awareness for this great cause.

Her service to an organization dedicated to service is shown in her presidency. The theme of her presidency is “Keeping the Promise.” During her installation speech, she said, “We, as an organization, are keeping that promise by remaining a vital organization.” Part of the vitality of the organization is educating the next generation on the government that is so unlike any other government in the world. America is great and distinct because of its unique form of government. Its intricacies, intriguing yet frustrating, are vital to the understanding of American government. This is some of what citizens at Girls State are fortunate enough to learn with the amazing generosity and passion of people like Sharon Conatser.