‘Madam Governor’: Hartselle student set to represent Alabama at Girls Nation
HARTSELLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A Hartselle student who was elected governor at Girls State is gearing up for Girls Nation, and she has big aspirations for the national conference.
Mary Frances Itsede of Hartselle is one of two students who were chosen to go to Girls Nation out of a pool of over 300.
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Itsede reflects on her time at Girls State, saying it was one of the best experiences of her life.
“I met over 370 girls and got a lot of amazing advice from the amazing counselors there,” Itsede said. “We had great speakers. U.S. Senator Katie Britt and we got to hear from Governor Kay Ivey. It was a great experience.”
Itsede said she was inspired by her friend, Samantha Simmons, who was elected Governor at Girls State back in 2022. Simmons told Itsede about her time at the convention, and Itsede says she was drawn to the debate aspect of it.
To be selected for Girls State, she had to go through an interview process and write an essay about three pressing issues she thought would be important during the upcoming election.
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At first, Itsede was not chosen as a Girls State delegate, but after reaching out to ask what she could have done better during the interview, it was discovered that two delegates could go, and so she got picked as the second.
“Being picked, after not being picked the first time, I was really blessed and I definitely would owe it to God for sure because I wasn’t going to go at first,” Itsede said.
Over the course of a week, delegates at Girls State set up a mock government – campaigning, defending their legislation and electing leaders.
Itsede ran for governor and won. But being elected governor doesn’t give you an automatic bid to Girls Nation, you have to be selected.
(Courtesy of Mary Frances Itsede) (Courtesy of Mary Frances Itsede) (Courtesy of Mary Frances Itsede) (Courtesy of Mary Frances Itsede) (Courtesy of Mary Frances Itsede) (Courtesy of Mary Frances Itsede) (Courtesy of Mary Frances Itsede) (Courtesy of Mary Frances Itsede) (Courtesy of Mary Frances Itsede) (Courtesy of Mary Frances Itsede) (Courtesy of Mary Frances Itsede) (Courtesy of Mary Frances Itsede)
Itsede was fortunate enough to be picked for this rare opportunity. Only 100 girls are selected for Girls Nation, two from each state program.
Each girl who attends Girls Nation is a “senator,” and takes part in a mock legislature similar to the one at the state convention, “submitting bills and resolutions, participating in senate sessions, and electing officials such as president and vice president.“
Itsede said the legislation she’s come up with in preparation for the national mock government is the expansion of tier-one broadband internet access into rural parts of the country.
She also plans to run for President!
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Itsede said she plans on practicing law after high school and credits Girls State for motivating her. She also ends her emails with a quote from Angel Davis, an American activist, that reads, “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”
She first heard the quote two years ago at a debate tournament and was moved by it.
“There are a lot of things that I see even in my town that I don’t like, but that doesn’t mean I have to accept it. It’s something I can work towards or change,” Itsede said.
Itsede and the other Alabama delegate will head to Washington, D.C. on July 20 for Girls Nation.
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