CANFIELD — This year, five lucky Canfield area juniors got an experience of a lifetime after being selected to attend Buckeye Boys State and Buckeye Girls State.

A few of the candidates returned and shared their adventure with members of American Legion Post 177 members and Auxiliary members last month.

“The American Legion founded Boys State in 1935,” said Post 177 Commander Mark Yoder. “Since that time it has been a premier youth program in the nation.”

At the time, the American Legion was itself a young organization, having been formed in 1919 as a moving force for fair treatment of the nation’s veterans. The organization began the Buckeye Boys State program in 1936 in the cattle barns of the Ohio State Fairgrounds with 440 boys attending. In 1940, a separate program sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary and was appropriately called Buckeye Girls State. Today the program boasts an attendance of 1,200 Ohio high school juniors.

The boys program was at Miami University in Oxford while the girls program took place at Bowling Green University. Both are held in June while the college is on summer break. The empty dorms are used and set up like miniature governments with towns, townships, counties, state and federal jurisdictions. Candidates have to run for office or can be appointed to positions at all levels. After a week-long session, the students leave with a newfound knowledge of how the government operates.

For the local candidates, it all begins earlier in the year.

“We begin to work with the school’s staff in March to find students recommended by teachers and counselors who are interested in attending the program,” Yoder said. “We have sent as many as one to five depending on those selected and interested. Over the last 10 years, we have sent approximately 50 kids through the program. The program is open to juniors only and costs around $300 for boys and $350 for girls to attend. The fee is paid entirely through donations.”

He said once the school provides the list of candidates, local Post officers and members and Auxiliary officers and members meet with the students at their school. They arrange a time and date to interview each student individually. The students are also provided with a questionnaire ahead of time that includes a brief essay explaining why they want to attend.

“After all are completed (questionnaire and interview), our members discuss the interviews and decide who is qualified and who we will sponsor for the program,” Yoder said. “The schools have provided us with excellent candidates and we generally sponsor those who have applied.”

This year’s boys candidates included Nate Borosky, son of Rebecca Borosky and a Springfield Local student; Cole Beers, son of Nathan and Paige Beers and a Canfield student; and Michael Gerthung, son of Mike and Jill Gerthung and a Springfield student.

Candidates selected for Buckeye Girls State included Sarah Doss, daughter of Basem and Barbara Doss and a Canfield student; and Abigail Hallos, daughter of James and Jennifer Hallos and a Canfield student.

Sarah said she was appointed as fire chief at Buckeye Girls State. She had to handle the fire department and budget just as any fire chief would, but she came away from the program with a lot more.

“The number one thing I took away from the experience was the friendship and trust I built with the girls,” Sarah said. “I went there for a learning experience and walked out with a new family.”

She still keeps in touch with her new friends via huge group chats created at Buckeye Girls State. She said the program was a great learning experience that may help in her future goals.

“As of right now my goals for the future are to become a doctor specializing in neuroscience, but I also want to have a family and travel the world,” she said.

Nate said he was appointed as an official with the health department at Buckeye Boys State. As a health official, he helped handle a blood drive.

“The number one thing I took away from Boys State was humility,” Nate said. “I realized the importance of working as a team.”

Like Sarah, he too keeps in touch with a couple of friends he made at Boys State.

“My goals for the future are to attend West Point and graduate with a bachelor’s in chemical engineering,” he said.

The remaining candidates did not respond to interview requests.