Becoming the Governor
On the first day of the program, I was filled with anxiety as each of the other 279 girls, all delegates from New Jersey, introduced themselves and listed off their accomplishments. Whether they were part of the student government or a member of their school's mock trial team, I felt as though I couldn’t compare. Throughout each session, I listened, learned, and researched so I would be able to contribute more to the conversation — but I still felt out of place. Despite feeling overwhelmed, I was determined to prove to the other girls that I belonged with them. After learning about the different elections that would be held throughout the week, a fire of determination lit inside me. I believed that I would be elected to one of the positions before the program was over.
During the program's first election, I decided to run for City Councilwoman. I gave a passionate speech—and thought I did an amazing job—but I was disappointed when I heard the results. I had lost. The next election was for the county level and I decided to run for County Surrogate. I could see victory at the end of the tunnel when I ran unopposed within my party—but when two parties came together, I lost against the Nationalist candidate. Two losses may have deterred some people, but it didn’t stop me. The final election was for the highest position of the program: Governor.
When the program leaders asked who wanted to run for Governor, I hesitated for a moment before raising my hand. My heart was pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears. To become a finalist, the candidate had to have at least twenty-five signatures, and all of that hinged on my speech. After giving my final and most important speech, I listened to my opponents and felt my nerves intensifying. They sounded far more qualified than me. Without fear of failure, I knew that I would never be one of the candidates with enough signatures, and that was okay because I was proud of myself for going after the most sought-after position in the program.
When the signatures were tallied, there was only one person who had enough names on their petition to continue onto the general election. That person was me.
I had never felt so nervous, yet confident, at the same time as I did the following day. After all the time and effort I put into my campaign, I was so proud of everything I had achieved, but I wasn’t done yet. When I heard “Your 2021 ALA Jersey Girls State Governor is Grace!” I could hardly process the words as the delegates around me began to cheer my name. All of my hard work had paid off!
At the beginning of the program, I didn’t know anything about politics, and I lost two elections. Today, I hold the most coveted position in the program, thanks to some of my fellow delegates’ support- support I earned through perseverance, passion, and my resilience in the face of loss. Tackling challenges with enthusiasm isn’t new for me; it’s part of who I am. As my fellow delegates congratulated me, I knew I would never let anything stop me from pursuing even the wildest of my dreams. The journey that led me to success was paved with failures, but those failures were necessary to get to where I needed to be.
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Being a Counselor
In June 2022, I served as a junior counselor at the new session of Jersey Girls State. While I had previously been a delegate, this year's experience was entirely different because it was held in person. It was an exciting opportunity to stay at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, New Jersey, and finally meet some of the senior counselors face-to-face, after only interacting with them on Zoom the previous year. I was also able to participate in some fun activities I had only heard about during my year as a delegate.
I was assigned to be a junior counselor for Earhart City, which was part of Parks County. The two senior counselors had been delegates in 2017, and had been returning as counselors since 2019. Our team of counselors spanned from former delegates to volunteers who were members of the American Legion Auxiliary. While most delegates had to wait one year before becoming counselors, my election as governor allowed me to return the following year.
It felt surreal to guide the delegates through solving their city's problem instead of actively generating solutions myself. However, it was incredible to witness how dedicated the delegates were to tackling the challenge. This year, Earhart city faced a fictional zombie apocalypse. The group of rising high school seniors devised plans for evacuation, containment, and even explored the possibility of finding a cure or administering a vaccine to the city's citizens to ultimately restore it to its pre-apocalyptic state.
Throughout the week, I was spontaneously called upon to give a speech about my previous year's experience. I also had the honor of inducting the new class of delegates and swearing in the new Governor, Lt. Governor, and two state senators during the graduation ceremony on the program's last day.
In 2023, I received a promotion to become a co-counselor, working alongside one of the more senior counselors. Reconnecting with friends I had made in person the previous year was truly delightful.
Taking on the role of a co-counselor came with significantly more responsibility compared to the previous year, and I embraced it wholeheartedly. I assumed responsibility for overseeing the Nationalist party meetings, as well as the important tasks of waking up the delegates and ensuring the security of their dorms whenever we left the building.
All in all, this experience has been incredibly rewarding, and I am excited about the prospect of continuing to be a part of the ALA Jersey Girls State program for many years to come.
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