Floor eight counselor profiles

Story by Tennessee Anderson

Sarah Pogue

The Junior Counselor on floor eight, the city of Taylor, is Sarah Pogue.

Pogue went to Girls State in 2013 at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. She also applied and interviewed for Girls Nation.

Pogue went to Girls State to learn more about how her Government works. She also really wanted to meet new people and work on her leadership skills. What she enjoyed about Girls State was meeting new friends from across the state of Nebraska, and being able to express herself more than she could at her school.

After graduating Girls State, Pogue decided to become a Junior Counselor because of her own counselor. She made an impact on Pogue and helped her make an impact on others.

Pogue’s favorite pastime is being a photographer. In other words, she especially enjoys taking photos.

 Sarah is currently attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and she is majoring in broadcasting, because she really likes sports and wants to make a difference in the world of film.   

              

Kelsey Gretch

When Kelsey Gretch finished Girls State she wanted to give back by helping future generations of Girls State delegates. She also wanted to give them the experiences that she had enjoyed. This year she is the Middle Counselor on floor eight which is the city of Taylor.

Gretch attended Girls State in 2012. She wanted to go to Girls State to learn more about government and how the voting system works. She also wanted to learn leadership skills and establish herself as a better leader.

During Girls State she enjoyed campaigning and it helped her get out of her comfort zone.

When she has downtime she enjoys watching every kind of TV series on Netflix, and she also likes to read books.When Kelsey was younger she loved to read, she would even read all day or stay up all night reading with a nightlight.  

Gretch attends the University of Nebraska at Kearney and she is majoring in Social Work and minoring in Gerontology. She wants to eventually get her masters degree in Social Work and work as a Medical Social Worker or be a director of a nursing home.

In high school Kelsey enjoyed her classmates and how close they became over the years. Her favorite subject was American Government because she was able to learn more about politics, and it helped to spark her interest in running for office someday.

Kathy Mazur

This year Kathy Mazur is the Senior Counselor on floor eight, the city of Taylor. When Mazur goes to Girls State she enjoys the energy of the girls that she hangs out with.

Mazur got involved with Girls State because of an email she had received saying that they needed her help as a Senior Counselor.

During her downtime she enjoys reading Murder Mysteries or Adventure novels. She also does a lot of volunteering. Mazur loves going to baseball games. She has played softball and still loves to play when she can.

Kathy attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and received a Bachelors of Science in Business Education. She chose this major because of her interest in book keeping and security of study.

Mazur attended high school in Gretna, and her favorite thing was being a librarian because she loved keeping books in order on their shelves.  

 

 

And the winner is...

Wednesday has come and gone in a flash, and it is difficult to believe that the citizens are getting closer and closer to graduation day. The looks on the citizens' faces and their contagious laughter are always present, and the knowledge theses citizens are gathering is helping them to become better real-world citizens.

Wednesday began with the final whistle stop campaign. Winners of the county and state primary elections filled the floors of Mari Sandoz Hall once more to compete for their fellow citizens' votes. Throughout the week, delegates have been costuming, carrying large posters and shouting slogans to make their mark on the Cornhusker Girls State voters.

Once whistle stops were complete, those delegates who won the primary election for a state office prepared for the rapid fire whistle stop campaign. Each state office candidate was paired with a staff member who escorted her to each floor. While each individual candidate was on the floor, the citizens that resided there had three minutes to ask that candidate any question. Questions included, "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" and "What can you do to help small-town farming communities?" The candidates took the questions with grace and poise and thought very carefully on how they responded to the citizens of CGS. After the last candidate had left their floor the citizens casted their vote for the ones who impressed them the most.

After the close of all things elections, the citizens were split up into different discussion groups. These groups were assigned randomly and each group met on a specific floor. The counselors on the floors led the group discussion by asking delegates the questions that were provided to them. On floor nine, the delegates who gathered exchanged views on the VA health system, Memorial Day and family members in the military. This activity gave citizens the chance to explore further and think broader about their experience at Girls State. Delegates were able to apply what they have learned so far throughout the week and even talked about what they have taken from CGS thus far.

Following lunch the citizens trudged their way back to the union for afternoon session. The first item of business was a presentation by Anne Greff and Sarah Smith, the 2014 Girls Nation Senators from Nebraska. Each discussed their favorite part of attending Girls Nation and gave a detailed summary of the events that took place at the session held last July in Washington D.C. Both Greff and Smith explained to the citizens that the benefits of attending Girls Nation are innumerable, and they both took away many attributes from the experience. Then all current CGS citizens who were interested in applying for Girls Nation came to the front of the ballroom and announced their name and floor. Next they had their picture taken which is currently on display on all floors in order to prepare for the upcoming vote for Nebraska's Senators.

The Girls Nation candidates quickly rushed back to prepare for the most anticipated announcement of the week: election results. The citizens sat on pins and needles anxiously awaiting what name would be called next. For every office called the Nebraska Union Ballroom exploded with cheers and excitement. All the delegates jumped to their feet as Kamryn Sannicks, citizen of Fillmore, was announced as the 2015 CGS Governor.

Afternoon session continued on as the senators from each floor worked with Vicki Buck to write bills that they hope to pass tomorrow at the Nebraska State Capitol. Prior to the start of afternoon activities, the citizens had quite a large amount of time to burn. CGS staff and delegates used their creativity and began a Girls State-wide game of movie charades. Floors came together to act out scenes from their favorite movies which included "Pitch Perfect" and "Finding Nemo".

Evening session was a joyous time as the citizens were reunited with Cornhusker Boys State. Both met at Kimball Hall for the address by the Honorable Pete Rickets, Governor of the State of Nebraska. After speaking with the delegates Gov. Rickets opened the floor to answer questions from the citizens. The evening continued with performances by the Girls and Boys State band and choir. However, there was an additional performance no citizen saw coming. As the doors of the Kimball Hall auditorium opened, the CBS counselors strutted down the aisle decked in sunglasses. As the counselors took the stage they began to hum that oh-so familiar tune any "Top Gun" fan would know. The counselors began to serenade the citizens of Girls State with "You've Lost that Lovin' feeling" complete with dance moves. (To think that the Girls State citizens thought their excitement had peaked when they walked into the auditorium that night.) One special Girls State citizen was even pulled up on stage to sit on a Boys State counselor's knee during the song.

Before the citizens left Kimball hall, they first had to travel through the tunnel of high-fives formed by the Boys State counselors. As they shouted, "Girls! Girls! Girls! Girls!" all the citizens, and even some staff members, made their way through the line high-fiving each counselor. (Girls State Gazette is happy to report that no Girl State citizen fainted at the conclusion of the high-five tunnel.) When the delegates returned to Sandoz it was then up to their floors for nightly town meetings.

Visit the Girls State Gazette Online tomorrow for coverage of the Innaguartion, Nebraska State Capitol and visit to the National Guard Base.

Floor five counselor profiles

Story by Liz Rentfro

For the citizens of floor five, Girls State would not be the same if Carol Nienhueser, Haley King and Skylar Peterson were not their counselors. Although the three ladies have different backgrounds and leadership styles, they apply their strengths to the town of Harrison in a positive way.

Haley King, the Middle Counselor on floor five, attendance at Girls State in 2012 affected her in a very positive way. She now considers herself more outgoing and is more apt to try new things than prior to Girls State. King became a counselor because she loves teaching and wanted to see what the other side of Girls State looked like. King's advice to the current delegates includes having a positive attitude, going with the flow and listening to the rules.

Fifth floor’s Junior Counselor, Skylar Peterson went to Girls State in 2013. Peterson said that Girls State was one of the reasons she got into college, and she would not be the same without this experience. Since Girls State she has been volunteering as much as possible and giving back to her community in every way that she can. Peterson became a counselor because she had a great time her year and wanted to come back and help out. Peterson’s advice for this year’s citizens is to have fun and learn something new every day.  

Unlike fifth floor’s other two counselors, Carol Nienhueser, the Senior Counselor, did not attend Girls State. Nienhueser attributes her daughter for helping her to become a Girls State Counselor. Nienhueser liked it so much she decided to keep doing it. This is Nienhueser’s second year as a counselor. Nienhueser’s advice to the citizens is to step outside of their comfort zone, and do not be afraid to try something new because they will never know where it could take them.  

Counselor profile: floor four

Story by Avery Neptune

The very hyper Morgan Kumm is the Junior Counselor for Van Buren. When getting to know the fun, happy and energetic Kumm one can find out many interesting things about her.

In the year of 2013, Kumm attended Girls State where she stayed on floor two. Kumm had such a great time at Girls State that she signed up to be counselor, and she was excited when she got asked to come back. When asked if she could go back to the time when she was in Girls State and if there was anything she would do differently she said, “I would campaign harder and run for a higher office.” Kumm felt that she missed out on that experience because she did not try as hard as she could have when she ran for County Treasurer.

       

Now let’s get to know the Kumm outside of Girls State. If Kumm could be any age she says she would be 25. She feels that at the age of 25 you are still pretty young, but not young enough to have missed out on different opportunities. Kumm’s favorite animal is a cat. This is because when she finds pictures of them online she loves them but, when she sends them to her sister, her sister does not love them as much.

Kumm would love to travel to New Zealand because of watching “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”. She feels that New Zealand would be a beautiful place to visit. Kumm’s favorite hairstyle, if she could do it with her own hair, would be wavy or curly strawberry blonde because she likes the way it looks on her friend. If given the chance, Kumm would love to act in a comedy movie with her co-star being Melissa McCarthy, because McCarthy is a firecracker just like her.

       

Kumm’s favorite memories of being a Girls State citizen include the interaction with her different floormates and delegates from the other floors. Kumm likes Girls State so much that if given the opportunity she would be willing to travel all over the country promoting Girls State. Kumm is very dedicated to Girls State and all its citizens. 

Serious and organized Katie Bartels is the Middle Counselor for Van Buren. Though Bartels can be very serious at times, she does have a fun side to her personality that makes her very interesting to be around.  

       

Bartels was a Girls State citizen in the year of 2013. Being a Girls State citizen is what inspired Bartels to come back and be counselor. If Bartels could go back to the time when she was at Girls State, she said that she would have ran for a county or state position instead of a city one. She feels that it is a better experience to travel up and down the floors instead of staying on a single floor.

           

Bartels said that though she enjoys being a child, if she could be any age she would be somewhere in her mid-20s. Bartels’ favorite animals are cats and pandas. If Bartels could travel the world she would love to visit France, Italy and Germany. The classic ponytail is Bartels’ favorite kind of hairstyle. If given the chance to act in a movie, Bartels would act in a horror movie with Channing Tatum because there is nobody cuter.

       

Bartels describes that her favorite part of Girls State was the interaction with her floormates and the delegates from different floors. Bartels likes that she is still able to see the friends she made at Girls State in her everyday life. If Bartels was given the opportunity, she would love the idea of traveling the country promoting Girls State.  

The fun, loving and motherly figure, Annette Gloystein is the Senior Counselor for Van Buren. Though she was never a Girls State citizen, she is still willing to give up a week of her free time to come and guide the delegates.

Gloystein was an alternate for Girls State in the 1970s. Gloystein had daughters who attended Girls State a few years ago and this is what inspired her to be a Girls State counselor; along with the fact that she could not go at her age. Since Gloystein is a part of the American Legion Auxiliary, she is qualified to be a Girls State counselor.

           

Gloystein would love to be in her 30s again because of what she knows now. She would also enjoy spending one day in high school with what she knows now. Though she is not really an animal person, in the past she has had cats, turtles and fish.. Australia is number one on Gloystein’s travel list along with England, Ireland, Scotland and Disneyland or Disneyworld. Golystein would like to add a natural curl to her hair to create her favorite kind of hairstyle. If Golystein had the opportunity to act in any kind of movie, she would act in a science fiction movie or more specifically “Star Trek”. Gloystein  would have Leonard Nimoy, the original Spock, be her co-star.

Gloystein said her favorite part of Girls State is getting to meet and know the delegates. She enjoys seeing what is going on as a new generation keeps coming around. Gloystein is huge supporter of Girls State and she would be more than willing to travel the country promoting Girls State.   

Jackson counselors are perfectly perfect

By: Haley Pierce

Liz Schlamann, Jackson Senior Counselor, is a strong and independent woman. She first attended Girls State in 1993 as a citizen of Arthur. Schlamann recalls that her favorite camp memory involved a Boys State citizen. Back then, land lines were available in each room, and the boys were often able to figure out the phone number system. However, one of the boys accidentally dialed the senior counselor’s number. The counselor proceeded to lead him on before calling the boy’s counselor in order to get him in trouble. For Schlamann, the best part of attending Girls State was playing the clarinet in band. The Girls State Band offered opportunities to play new musical pieces, such as the Nebraska fight song.

In 2009, Schlamann returned to Girls State as a Senior Counselor. Her own experience at Girls State is what inspires Schlamann to give back. As a counselor, she enjoys watching the citizens grow and develop throughout the week; by the end, she considers them her 50 adopted daughters. Schlamann’s goal as a counselor is to provide the best week for all. She also appreciates watching former citizens return as Girls State staff. In fact, in the past seven years, Schlamann has had two delegates return as Junior Counselors; and Ashley Wilkes was her Junior Counselor in 2009.

On a personal note, Schlamann considers herself quirky and tenacious. Her leadership style is both joyful and stern. She understands letting her delegates have fun, provides TLC and if need be, can lay down the law. As for one word to describe her life, Schlamann selected interesting. She has worked hard to overcome many obstacles and takes life as it comes at her. If stranded on a desert island, Schlamann would take any book she can get. And her favorite pickup line? “Hey baby, come check out my eight foot bed!”

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The Middle Counselor of Jackson, Morgan Devall attended Girls State in 2010. She lived on floor nine as a Polk Parrot. Devall’s favorite memory from camp is being appointed to the department of the State Historical Society. Through her appointment, she toured the Nebraska History Museum and State Historical Society. In retrospect, Devall believes her position helped her in her chosen major of social sciences. She also enjoyed learning about her responsibilities as a citizen, and it has helped her teaching.

Like many other counselors, Devall enjoyed her time at Girls State and wanted to give the same experience to others. Furthermore, she is a firm supporter of volunteering. When giving her time, Devall believes the American Legion Auxiliary is a great organization to help. In addition, Devall brings order and control to her city.

Individually, Devall considers herself very serious, especially in activities. However, she is also very sarcastic, and Devall truly enjoys humor. In describing her life, Devall selected the word blissful. There have been ups and downs, but overall she has been happy with the experiences and opportunities life has presented her. Possibly the most practical of all Jackson counselors, Devall would bring a friend and sunscreen to a desert island. Finally, her favorite pickup line is,

“Do you come here often?”

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Jackson’s Junior Counselor, Emily Slama, was a Girls State delegate in 2013 and resided in Ford. Her favorite moment from camp was the toga party her floor hosted on the final night. The delegates played the “Cup Song” and stayed awake through the night. The citizens then caught up on their sleep at graduation the following day. For Slama, being elected senator was a great experience at Girls State. Her legislature enacted a law that made texting and driving a primary offense.

Slama now returns to Girls State for the first time since then as a Junior Counselor. She had a great time at her Girls State and wants to continue the experience for other delegates. In fact, Slama credits her experience to her own Junior Counselor, Jordan. Basically, Slama wishes to give back to the organization that has done so much for her.

Slama is a social butterfly, but she isn’t afraid to set the rules. She describes herself as a firm believer in tough love. Additionally, she loves to see others happy. When given one word to describe her life, Slama chose two: passion and dedication. She wants everyone to have passion about everything here at Girls State. Her greatest advice to all Girls State citizens is to, “Put your whole heart into something you care about.” Furthermore, Slama enjoys The Book Thief, and she would definitely take it to a desert island. As for Slama’s favorite pickup line? “Are you from Tennessee? Because you are the only ten-I-see.”

Meet the floor two counselors

By Haley Ehrke

The Senior Counselor for the city of Adams is Debi Smith. Smith’s hometown is Elsie and she is a Girls State Alumni. She served as a City Council member during her time at Girls State in 2007. Smith serves as a counselor because she wanted to give back after her experience. Her favorite part of Girls State is meeting girls and seeing the citizens’ creativity during the whistle stop campaigns. Debi works as the Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at Concordia University. Her favorite color is light blue and her favorite movie is “Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade”. Her favorite actor is Emma Stone, and her favorite food is Macaroni and Cheese. Her favorite United States President is George H. W. Bush. A piece of advice that Smith wanted to give to the citizens is for them to be themselves.

Adam’s Middle Counselor Shirley Gautreaux is from Friend Nebraska and she is not a Girls State alumni. Gautreaux became involved at Girls State because of Diane Hanke, a member of her church. Hanke got Gautreaux involved in 2002 when her third son was attending Cornhusker Boys State. Shirley has served as a counselor ever since. Gautreaux taught school for 40 years and is now enjoying retirement by visiting her grandkids. Gautreaux’s favorite color is blue and her favorite movie is “The Sound of Music”. Her favorite actor is George Clooney, and favorite food is Lasagna. Gautreaux admires United States President Abraham Lincoln. Gautreaux wanted to make sure that the delegates step out of their comfort zones to meet others and make themselves better people.

Finally, the Junior Counselor Kathryn “Kat” Budell. Budell’s hometown is Lincoln and she is a Girls State alumni and served as the State Auditor in 2013. Budell became a counselor because she really enjoyed her experience at Girls State as a delegate and wanted to share her experience. She works as a service assistant at State Parks and Recreation. Her favorite color is green and her favorite movie is “Silver Linings Playbook”. Kat’s favorite actor is Benedict Cumberbatch and her favorite food is any kind fruit. Budell loves United States President Harry Truman, and the advice that she wants to give to the girls is to learn more about themselves through meeting others.

“The farthest west I had been prior to my experience at Girls State was Kearney. Throughout my time at Girls State I was able to meet girls from the panhandle that lived closer to Denver than they did Lincoln. I then knew I wanted to give back from my experience,” said Budell.

Floor nine counselor profiles

Story by Tessa Stevens

Nicole Forbes

As delegates first arrived at the city of Fillmore, they were greeted with a cheerful smile by Middle Counselor Nicole Forbes.  Nicole choose to become a counselor to continue the legacy of great counselors since she had when she came to Girls State. She confessed to being super excited when she was accepted as a counselor and had so much fun the first time that she came back for a second year.  

Forbes attended Girls State in 2013.  While at Girls State, she was elected Mayor of her floor.  At Girls State that year, all of the Mayors participated in scavenger hunts on their floors where they had to find crazy stuff such as a pink shirt or a boa.  The best part was the Mayors had to wear all of it, then they met downstairs where there was a vote on the best dressed Mayor.  Additionally, her floor did not have many of the clothing items, so they made them out of paper, including purple paper pants that Forbes had to wear.

Out of all the cereals, Forbes felt she would probably be Lucky Charms. She said that she sometimes feels average, but then she “has a marshmallow day”, where something special or fun randomly happens. Furthermore, if she could choose any animal species to be able to talk to, she would choose ducks. She says she is obsessed with ducks and thinks they are cute. Forbes even has a collection of about 30 stuffed ducks.  In fact, for one of her Senior pictures she was photographed lying in a big pile of ducks.

Forbes is currently a rising junior at UNL. Prior to attending UNL, she attended Southern Valley High School, a combined high school, and lived in Beaver City.  Forbes chose to attend UNL after being able to test drive the dorms and dining hall during Girls State. After graduating from UNL, she plans on receiving a Speech Pathology degree. Since that degree requires two years of graduate school, she currently plans on attending the University of Nebraska at Kearney for graduate school.UNK is closer to Forbes’ home and will increase her chances of receiving a job closer to home.  Forbes plans on remaining in Nebraska and being a Speech Pathologist/Therapist in Nebraska schools.  Lastly, Forbes’ favorite quote is, “live life to the fullest!”   

Sarah Ann Prewett

Counselor Sarah Ann Prewett is no rookie to serving as a counselor. Prewett is currently the Senior Counselor for Fillmore and is serving in her fourth year as a counselor. She is the ideal candidate to serve as a counselor and surrogate mother to the delegates. Ironically enough, Prewett actually is a mother to a one-year-old son named Ryan Jay. Prewett agreed to become a counselor because she feels that the week at Girls State is really important to learn about government and is a lot of fun.  

In 2008, Prewett was a delegate at Girls State where she served on the judicial branch. While Prewett was attending Girls State there was a tornado drill during the band and choir concert (instead of a gas leak evacuation).  As a result, they were never able to finish the concert.  However, her favorite memory at Girls State was as a counselor. During the last night of Girls State the delegates had a talent show which they were super enthusiastic about. They made comedy routines, sang and danced. According to Prewett the talent show was very entertaining and just so much fun.

If Prewett were any cereal, she would want to be Mini Wheats since it is her favorite cereal. Prewett claims that it is healthy for you, but it is also sweet. Additionally, when asked which animal species she would most like to talk to, Prewett was torn between two animals: elephants and cats. She would want to talk to elephants since they are her favorite animal. If she were ever able to touch an elephant she confessed she would sob tears of happiness.  However, she would also like to talk to cats, but she is not sure they would want to talk to humans since cats see them do the craziest things.

Prewett graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln with a Social Studies teaching degree for high school students. Before that, she attended Oakland-Craig High School, located in Oakland. Currently, she is busy saving lives working for the police department. She answers 911 calls, but she spends most of her time running a radio channel for the officers. Prewett normally checks the backgrounds of people who have been pulled over or are involved in a disturbance. However, her dream job would have to be a ghost hunter so she could visit houses with ghosts and try to talk the spirits into coming out.  Lastly, her favorite quote is “life goes on”, no matter what happens, time will continue and things will get better with time.

Carlin Daharsh

Charismatic and witty counselor Carlin Daharsh easily lives up to her namesake, George Carlin, a famous American comedian. Furthermore, she is easily recognizable as the counselor with a certain sparkle to her smile. Daharsh hails from Gothenburg High School, located in, you guessed it, Gothenburg. She is currently working as a Junior Counselor for the city of Fillmore and is very excited about her first year as a counselor. Daharsh grew so much as a delegate and felt that was the best way that she could give back to the American Legion Auxiliary was to be a counselor.

Daharsh attended Girls State as a delegate in 2013. She was elected as the Secretary of State at Girls State and then went on to become a Senator at Girls Nation. Her favorite memory from Girls State was everything to do with campaigning. She even had a “posse” that would stay up with her until 3:00 a.m. every night working on posters. The delegates in the “posse” were able to devote all of their free time to working on posters and stickers since they had previously ran for city offices.

Daharsh admitted that if she were a cereal she would likely be Frosted Mini Wheats because she is always prepared and ready to start the day. Furthermore, if she could talk to any animal species, she would choose to talk to dogs. That way she could learn how to be as forgiving and loyal and compassionate as dogs are because cats are not. Although, she confessed she is totally a cat person.

Daharsh is currently a rising Sophomore at Nebraska Wesleyan.  She is planning on majoring in Spanish and Political Communications with minors in Gender Studies and French.  She would “love to be a Press Secretary for a President or their Speech Writer as a Communications Director”.  Lastly, Daharsh’s favorite quote is “it’s a bad day, not a bad life”.  Pursuing one’s dream job can be extremely difficult and “there’s going to be bad days”, but it is important to remember that a single day does not decide the rest of one’s life.

Floor seven counselor profiles

Story By: Melissa Hinrichs

Michelle Malone

Michelle Malone is the Senior Counselor for floor seven and has been helping with Girls State for nine years. She has spent seven of those years as a counselor. Malone is from Palmyra and is now living in Omaha. In 2004 she was a citizen at Cornhusker Girls State and was a candidate for County Sheriff, but was not elected to the position.

Malone loves coming to Girls State and working with the citizens. That and the leadership skills learned at Girls State are the reasons she says she chose to become a counselor. Malone identified her favorite part of attending Girls State as being the time she would spend staying up at night talking to the friends she had made.

Malone’s favorite color is most definitely pink. She also enjoys watching football, but she no longer plays many sports. Malone believes that she would most enjoy the superpower of flight, because she likes to travel.

Helen King

Helen King is the Middle Counselor for floor seven and this is her second year as a counselor. King is originally from Shelby and now lives in Kearney. She attended Cornhusker Girls State in 2012 and was elected to City Mayor during her time as a citizen.

King says her reason for wanting to become a counselor here at Girls State is because of how much she enjoyed herself during her time as a citizen. She continued to explain that she wanted to give other citizens the same exciting experiences she had had at this event. King’s favorite part of Girls State as a citizen was one of the speakers she saw. This speaker was Dr. Jo, and King described her presentation as full of energy and motivation.

When King was asked about her favorite color her reply was a definitive, “Pink!” Her favorite activity is crafting and she can be seen wearing some of the things she makes. When asked what superhero would she like to be or what superpower would she want to have,  King’s answer was that she does not know any superheroes, but she would like the power of teleportation. She explained that if she could teleport, she would never have to worry about being late and would not have to run to be on time.

Nicole Shively

Nicole Shively is the Junior Counselor for floor seven and this is her first time being a Girls State counselor. Shively is from Lincoln and attended Cornhusker Girls State in 2013 when she ran for and was elected to a Senator position.

The experiences Shively had during her time at Girls State is one reason why she decided to be a counselor. She also said that Girls State is a great learning experience. Shively’s favorite part of her time as a Girls State citizen was getting to meet people from all over the state; she grew up in Lincoln and had not had the chance to meet many people from other places before.

Shively considers blue to be her favorite color. She is currently studying music, and her favorite activity is marching band. If Shively could have any superpower, she would choose to be able to fly, because she could go anywhere. She also explained that it “would just feel cool.”

Confusion and roommates: the Tyler counselor story

Story by Sarah Van Horn

Oftentimes, activities can be explained in as little as two words: boy’s basketball, sculpture club, debate team. However, there are exceptions to many norms, including Girls State.

“I knew it existed; that’s about it,” Middle Counselor Tina Woodside, 21, said. Woodside was a delegate from Columbus in 2011 and became a counselor in 2013.

“Someone said to me, ‘you like politics, you have leadership experience. Apply.’ My brother went to Boys State so I figured it wouldn’t hurt [to apply].”

When Woodside graduates from college she plans on becoming a lawyer. But Woodside never plans on leaving the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA). She hopes to continue being a counselor; once settled, she hopes to become involved with her local ALA post.

“I love this program,” Woodside said. “I’m shy and weird and awkward. But State encourages weird; everyone is a little awkward; State makes you branch out. I still text girls that were on my floor two years ago.”

Incidentally, Junior Counselor Kylie Hanson, 19, is also still in contact with girls she met two years ago at Girls State, except Hanson was a delegate from Grant.

“My roommate and I are still really close,” Hanson said.

While the two were roommates Hanson was comforted after she lost her campaigning for a public service position. Hanson made through the first round, then lost going to the general election.

“I was really upset,” Hanson said.

However, Hanson was not disappointed about it very long.

“My assigned position was a director’s position – deputy director,” Hanson said. “I was all like, ‘I lost, but now I’m your boss!’ I was incredibly stoked.”

As matter-of-fact Hanson was so ‘stoked’ that she has vowed to never forget her experiences at Girls State. She has learned leadership and perseverance.

“I [felt] so accomplished when I left State,” Hanson said. “I grew so much; being a counselor I have/will learn so much more. My roommate didn’t come back to State with me, but that’s OK. She’s still pretty chill.”

Another time where roommates have been helpful to Tyler Girls State Counselors happened with Senior Counselor Cydney Volker, 31. Volker’s college roommate called her while Volker was at her Lincoln home..

“Funny story: My roommate called,” Volker said, “someone backed out of volunteering for the week. I said yeah; I had no clue what it was but I thought it’d be fun – I never went during high school.”

Volker has been a Senior Counselor since 2009.

“I’m going to keep coming back until I can’t keep up with them,” Volker said. “I’ve met so many great friends. Everyone is enthusiastic and energetic. But I’m OK with a week – we’d all go crazy if we stayed together forever.”

Counselors at Girls State are different, something that Woodside, Hanson and Volker have in common is that they were clueless about Girls State, met people they will not forget and do not plan on leaving all the ‘great friends’ they have met anytime soon.

“I’ve met about 1,500 girls,” Woodside said. “And it’d be great if I could ever see all of them again.”

Counselor and staff profile sketches: part four

Gayla Schmid

Girls State Advisory Committee Member

Number of years involved in Girls State: Six.

Reason she’s involved in Girls State: “I’ve always been interested in youth programs and one year the President asked me to do it, so I became involved.”

Favorite part about Girls State: The girls and the knowledge they possess.

Advice: “Keep smiling--the greatest thing you can do is keep a positive attitude.”

Cydney Volker

Senior Counselor, City of Adams (Sixth Floor)

Number of years involved in Girls State: Six.

Reason she’s involved in Girls State: “I was the alternate to go to Girls State, but one year my roommate, who had gone to Girls State, asked if I would help as a counselor because they needed more help.”

Favorite part about Girls State: Meeting the counselors and the new girls.

Advice: “Enjoy senior year! Remember to tell everyone Girls State is awesome!”

Kaylee Dump

Middle Counselor, City of Bush (Third Floor)

Number of years involved in Girls State: Three.

Reason she’s involved in Girls State: Loved Girls State when she went as a delegate in 2009.

Favorite part about Girls State: “Watching the girls learn and open up to meeting new people.”

Advice: “Be open minded. It’s a scary experience, but it’s worth it. Come out of your comfort zone and enjoy the experience.”

Sapphire Andersen

Junior Counselor, City of Madison (Eighth Floor)

Number of years involved in Girls State: One.

Reason she’s involved in Girls State: “I loved the year I was there in 2012; my counselor inspired me to come back. I wanted to connect with the girls like she did.”

Favorite part about Girls State: “Seeing creative campaigning and connecting with girls.”

Advice: “You get out what you put in. Don’t be afraid about meeting new girls. Be yourself!”

Couselor and staff profile sketches: part three

                                                                                                          

Annette Gloystein- Senior Counselor

·         Living on the Eight Floor (Madison) this week.

·         Has been helping out with Girls’ State for 12 years

·         From Exeter

·         Self-employed

·         Member of Exeter’s school board

·         Her jobs at Girls’ State includes; supervising, keeping things moving, making sure the delegates are on time.

·         Decorates cakes

Jordanna Glock- Middle Counselor

·         Living on the Ninth Floor (Monroe) this week.
·         Has a little brother at Boys’ State this year, who she plans to embarrass by the end of the week
·         Responsible for making sure the girls are having fun
·         A student at the University of Nebraska at Kearney
·         Gives tours at her college
·         Works as a Certified Nursing Assistant
·         Does a lot of student research
·         From Rising City
·         Has been helping out with Girl’s State for two years
·         Helps the delegates on her floor with voting and filing

Jessica Svehla- Junior Counselor

·         Living on the Second Floor (Reagan) this week
·         Returned to Girls’ State to help out for two years
·         Attends the University of Nebraska
·         Interested in Interior Design
·         She has compressed her spine jumping the wake while wake boarding
·         Helps lead the delegates to their different sessions
·         Works for a wedding planner
·         From Lincoln
·         Helps the delegates get to know each other, and watches for appropriate clothing
·         Works at Memorial Stadium

Virgina Nelsen- Staff Member

·         Living on the Sixth Floor (Adams) this week
·         Originally from New Jersey
·         She is the education director here at Girls’ State
·         Has been involved with Girls’ State since 1999
·         She is a Teachers Aid for K-5
·         Loves the history about the Revolutionary War
·         Writes and grades tests for the delegates here at Girls’ State
·         Adds and subtracts points for the different floors
·         Currently living in Valentine
·         Interested in the history of our country

   By: Drew Purviance