Tester meets with Montana ‘Senators’ from Boys, Girls Nation

Senator, stand-out students discuss current issues, public service

(BIG SANDY, Mont.) – Senator Jon Tester this week met with a group of Montana’s student leaders to talk about problems affecting rural Montanans and the importance of young Montanans getting involved in their community.

Rebecca Poliquin of Hamilton, Rachel Skaar of Helena, Drew Gerber of Billings, and Michael Tummarella of Stevensville, visited Tester in Washington, D.C. as part of the American Legion and American Legion Auxillary’s Boys and Girls Nation Conferences.

The students, who are called “senators” while they attend the conference, were selected by their peers in Montana to attend the organizations’ annual meetings in the nation’s capital.

“Boys State and Girls State are important programs that give young people an opportunity to learn about government and the value of public service,” Tester said. “Our nation’s future depends on young folks finding a way to move us forward, and it’s great to meet young leaders who will continue to strengthen our nation for years to come.”

The American Legion and American Legion Auxillary are the largest patriotic service organizations in the nation. Boys and Girls Nations are week-long conferences that bring rising high school seniors from 49 states to the nation’s capital to sightsee, participate in government simulations, and learn about effective citizenship.

The first Boys Nation conference was held in 1946. Girls Nation was created the following year.

Tester, a former music teacher, meets regularly with students from the Treasure State in Montana and Washington.