Redlands Youth Head to SacramentoHigh School Juniors to Learn Civic Processes in Boys State Program

For the 77th year, the American Legion will implement, teach and lead by example the duties, rights and responsibilities of American citizenship to California youth. Three Redlands juniors, two from Redlands East Valley (REV) High School and one from Citrus Valley High School (CVHS), will delve deeper into civic duty and responsibility, and will represent American Legion Post 650 as delegates in Sacramento beginning June 20. The students—Christian Sharp (REV), Mario Gutierrez (REV) and Austin Creed (CVHS)—are all honors students with GPAs at 4.0 or above. Not only do they excel academically, but they are also active in extracurricular activities and community organizations explained Bob Lavin, the American Legion Post 650 Boys State Chairman. “They’re the cream of the crop, these juniors,” said Lavin, who is responsible for interviewing and selecting applicants for the program. “I see…that these students are our future leaders. These delegates, in the future, are going to make something of themselves.” The week-long visit to Sacramento, which will see over 900 delegates from throughout the state, affords students the opportunity to mock-elect city government officials, vote in mock elections and participate in public mock inaugural ceremonies as they “learn the part each one can play under our system of government,” according to the official American Legion California Boys State handbook, giving students hands-on experience in civic fields which could help them in any future endeavors when they run for office, become a state or Federal employee, and gives them a better understanding of the American voting system. Mario Gutierrez, a junior at REV, is a member of the school’s varsity football team, a member of CSF (California Scholarship Federation) and the Interact Club—a high-school level division of the Rotary club which plans and executes community service events. Interested in the possibility of attending the Air Force Academy, or his No. 1 choice, Stanford University, to pursue computer science or computer engineering, Gutierrez said the Boys State program would be a great addition to his college applications. “I’m looking forward to meeting different people and different personalities from around California,” Gutierrez said. His mother, Marybeth Gutierrez, said, “I’d like him to see how government works and bring back that experience and apply it to his life. People who grow up as team players grow up being able to work with each other and that makes them successful, not only financially, but emotionally and personally, helping them accomplish their goals. Mario’s father and I are very proud of him and we can’t wait to watch his journey.” A second delegate this year, Christian Sharp, also a junior at REV, is a member of the varsity cross country team, a team captain for the school’s track team, the treasurer of the engineering club and a leader of the Redlands Order of DeMolay. Sharp said, “What interested me the most about this program was the potential opportunity to broaden my leadership skills and gain firsthand experience in…the state government process.” He added, “I hope to gain a better understanding of how our state's various levels (cities, counties, and state) operate individually as well as together and while at the same time gain leadership skills that I can utilize throughout my life.” He plans on pursuing a career in electrical engineering after high school. “His mother and I are very proud,” Sharp’s father, Mark Sharp, said. “He’s a hard worker, but he’s well rounded. That’s just Christian. He’s an all-around good kid and he’s someone that’s going to change the future.” For the third program delegate, CVHS junior Austin Creed, who credited his teachers Vanessa Aranda and Nicki Young as his “main inspirations for pretty much everything,” the Boys State program was something that struck him immediately. “I think going through the program and this experience is really valuable,” said Creed, who works after school as a tutor in his school’s CASH program and as an improv actor in Comedy Sportz. He hopes to double major in business management in marketing in college; his dream school is Stanford University. “I’m looking forward to learning more self-reliance, to not have to rely on anyone else and trust in myself to get things done. That’s a big part of the program, independence,” he said. “The American Legion has a lot of programs, but to me, this is one that I really enjoy. This is a great experience,” Chairman Lavin said. The boys head for Sacramento on Friday, June 20, and return Saturday, June 28.