EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third of several small profiles about students who attended the 71st Palmetto Girls State and Boys state sessions. The students, all seniors from various Clarendon County Schools, were sponsored by various American Legion posts and their auxiliaries. The students spoke to their sponsors on Oct. 3 during a reception at First Baptist Church of Manning.
Calvin Kaiyr Blair was one of more than a dozen students who talked Oct. 3 about his experiences at the 71st Palmetto Boys State session, which was held June 11-17.
Blair was sponsored by the American Legion Post No. 204 of Manning.
"Thank you to Ms. Robinson (at Manning High School) and Judge (James) Dingle for thinking of me for this and for accepting me for it," Blair said. "At the beginning, I was very nervous being around a group of boys I didn't really know."
The 17-year-old Manning High School senior is the son of Calvin and Rosalin Blair. He has one sibling, Taj Blair, a sophomore at Manning High.
"I am a member of the Future Business Leaders of America," he said I've also earned A and B honors several semesters throughout the years.
Outside of school, Blair works part-time at a local restaurant. He enjoys hunting and fishing in his spare time.
"Upon graduation, it is my plan to attend Central Carolina Technical College or the University of South Carolina Upstate to receive a bachelor's degree to become a physical therapist," Blair said.
Delegates selected to attend Palmetto Boys State are chosen based on individual qualities such as character, leadership ability and interest in government. A review of honors, awards, extra- circular activities, employment history and civic and church involvement are considered in the selection process.
As part of the selection process, each boy was asked to complete an application and answer three essay questions about government in their own words and were interviewed by members of the legion post.
The South Carolina Department of the American Legion has organized and administered Palmetto Boys State since 1937. Tuition for the program is paid for by the local chapter of the American Legion, which raises money through fundraisers and sponsorships provided by local businesses as well as donations. The program emphasizes many of the tenets of the American Legion, including the concept of “God and Country” and respect for the American Flag.
"I had a fun time," said Blair. 'I got to know different cultures and religions and different things about different people. I enjoyed my time with them."
