EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth 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.
Manning High School senior Tori Goff was one of more than a dozen students who talked Oct. 3 about her experiences at the 71st Palmetto Girls State session which was held June 11-17.
She was sponsored by the American Legion Post No. 68 Auxiliary of Manning.
"Girls State was honestly the best week of my life," Goff said. "I was so excited when I was selected; this was a dream since middle school."
Delegates selected to attend Palmetto Girls 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 girl was asked to complete an application and answer three essay questions about government in their own words and were interviewed by members of the auxiliary.
The South Carolina Department of the American Legion Auxiliary has organized and administered Palmetto Girls State since 1937. Tuition for the program is paid for by the local Auxiliary that 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 Auxiliary including the concept of “God and Country” and respect for the American Flag.
"When I got there, I was so excited, but I was so overwhelmed; I didn't know if I could do it," Goff said.
Ultimately, Goff said she "met some of (her) greatest friends.
"I still talk to them to this day," she said. "I learned so much about myself that I never would've known if I hadn't went to Girls State. I made memories that will forever last a lifetime."
She said she'd go back "in a heartbeat," were she allowed.
"I can't thank you enough for allowing me to go," Goff told the auxiliary.
The American Legion Auxiliary participates in a variety of activities and program focusing on three major areas, including veterans, young people and the community.
Goff thanked the auxiliary for letting her be a part of Girls State.
“It made me branch out, and I could not be more grateful to take this with me in life everywhere I go,” she said.
The Unit 68 Auxiliary meets at 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at the William-Burgess American Legion Post No. 68 hut, 552 Sunset Drive in Manning. For more information on membership, call Allison Bagette at (803) 473-0593.
