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Empire Girls State is a hands-on weeklong educational workshop focusing on Americanism and the political process, sponsored by the New York State American Legion Auxiliary.
The goal of the program is to help students to better understand Democratic ideals. During their week at Empire Girls State, students, under the guidance of the Americanism chairman, will also learn proper flag etiquette, participate in and create either a flag lowering or raising ceremony and participate in a POW-MIA ceremony.
Since the inception of the Girls State program in 1937, the program has grown from a few hundred participants to nearly 20,000 annually. High school girls who have completed their junior year spend an intensive week of study, working together as self-governing citizens.
These young women learn government by actually creating a mythical state through the election of public officials on local, county and state levels and then by carrying out the duties of these respective offices. Two citizens from each Girls State are selected to participate in the annual Girls Nation program.
For this year's program, Cassadaga American Legion Auxiliary Unit 1280 chose Alegria Solares as its Empire Girl Stater. Alegria is a student at Dunkirk High School and loves school. She is an honor roll student and has been inducted into the Honor Society. She is also involved in many programs: band and county band, varsity cheerleading, Upward Bound and Junior ROTC.
Solares has plans to further her education after high school. She is the daughter of Janice and Pedro Solares of Dunkirk.