La Salle Academy
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z president barack obama greeted bridget bogan ’16, as well as haley brasil ’16 and the other representatives of girls nation.<br />
<strong>La</strong> <strong>Salle</strong> <strong>Academy</strong> students represent<br />
Rhode Island at Girls Nation<br />
<strong>La</strong> <strong>Salle</strong> students Bridget Bogan ’16 and Haley Brasil ’16<br />
were selected to represent Rhode Island at the 2015<br />
Girls Nation, held during July in Washington, D.C.<br />
Bridget and Haley were selected from a group of rising seniors<br />
from schools throughout Rhode Island who participated in the<br />
week-long Girls State program held earlier in the summer.<br />
The American Legion Auxiliary sponsors the Girl State/<br />
Girl Nation program to educate aspiring young women leaders<br />
about the basic ideals and principles of our government.<br />
At Girls State, participants study local and state government<br />
processes by creating, proposing and debating bills in<br />
mock-senate sessions. After delivering speeches and being<br />
interviewed by their peers, two senators are chosen from each<br />
Girls State to represent their state at Girls Nation. Every state<br />
except Hawaii is involved in the program.<br />
Bridget and Haley had the opportunity to meet R.I. Senators<br />
Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed, and sit in on part of<br />
a hearing about relations with Iran. They also visited many<br />
national landmarks in D.C.<br />
One major highlight was a meeting with President Barack<br />
Obama. “Not many people can say that the Leader of the Free<br />
World addressed them by name and shook their hand, so this<br />
experience was truly once in a lifetime,” said Haley. “My interest<br />
in politics and government stems from my Advanced Placement<br />
U.S. History course. Mr. Tom Pacia ’00 often has students<br />
debate during class and having to effectively state a position<br />
and argue about it definitely prepared me for this experience.”<br />
Bridget said that she and Haley were referred to the<br />
program by Margaux Fontaine ’15, currently a freshman at<br />
Georgetown University, who is an alumna of the program.<br />
“Girls Nation was an experience I will never forget,” said<br />
Bridget. “Like Margaux did for us, I hope to educate other students<br />
about the American Legion and Girls State/Girls Nation<br />
opportunities.”<br />
2015 z la salle academy alumni magazine | 31
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