Arshiya Alwadi – Manzanita City
Hello from Manzanita! What an amazing and unforgettable week this has been. Through education sessions, city planning, county meetings, exciting elections, and icebreaker games, I’ve had the best time taking part in the 2021 Arizona Girls State program. Unfortunately, this will be my last blog post as our time at Girls State is almost over. But I want to say how glad I am that I got a chance to learn so much and be a part of something that will make me a responsible citizen. By becoming involved in the actual process of state and county elections rather than just learning the concepts on paper, I learned about how each and every position in the government—from state representatives to the voters—makes a big difference in all the policies that are passed.
Today, we started the day off with a greeting from our newly elected governor, Ms. Jadyn Ocampo. Then, it was a race to the finish line with our city and county books. As we wrapped up our thank you notes and budget planning, I looked through the screen of Zoom squares and I saw the future of our country. I saw all the amazing girls who I know will go on to make a positive change in our community, one way or another.
We ended today with our talent show. Girls State 2021 is filled with musicians, singers, dancers, and athletes! It was an amazing way for us to showcase all our talents!
Even as a virtual program, this was an experience like no other! I am so honored to be a part of Girls State this year and work with all these bright and intelligent ladies of Arizona.
And… for your final AZ fun fact of the day: U.S. mail is still delivered by mule in only one part of the country—the Havasupai reservation located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.