After the election results were announced and the boys said their final goodbyes, seniors Nathan Gonzalez, Zachary Sanchez, and Fijlis Estrada have returned from the state capitol with more than just memories of a time well spent in Austin. 

The trio of young leaders participated in a five day crash course on government and politics, where they were split into different cities and parties. They were given the opportunity to run for office at various levels and network with other students from across the state. 

“Those first couple of days were pretty rough, but I’m glad I stuck around because the overall experience was a positive one, and the people I met made it worth it,” Sanchez said. “The highlight of my experience was the final day when they announced the results and we celebrated with one another no matter the results.”

Sanchez was elected to a position as county delegate, and appointed to his party’s campaign committee, apart from running for a district office. 

“When I was nominated for county delegate, I was nervous at first, but after I delivered my speech and earned a spot, I was ready to help my party succeed,” Sanchez said. “Apart from being a delegate, I ran for a position in the State Board of Education, and while the results weren’t in my favor, I benefited greatly from learning more about education and public speaking.”

Despite being in the opposite party, Gonzalez shared a similar experience on the knowledge he learned at the capitol. 

“Boys State taught me a lot about stepping up and actually using my voice instead of just sitting back,” Gonzalez said. Being around so many motivated people pushed me to grow, and it showed me that leadership is really about listening, staying confident, and working with others even when things get stressful.”

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