Knox County Career Center (KCCC) had three students who were nominated and selected to participate in Buckeye Boys State, which is run by the American Legion at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Cameron McNamara (Precision Machining), Jared Boucher (Sports Medicine & Exercise Science), and Edward Rodriguez (Building Trades) were each selected to participate in Buckeye Boys State this summer. All three young men arrived at KCCC as sophomores and were in the S.T.A.R.T. program. McNamara has participated in KCCC’s Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) for four years, Boucher for three years, and Rodriguez for two years.

Ohio’s American Legion has held Buckeye Boys State since 1936. The first Buckeye Boys State was held at the Ohio State Fairgrounds with over 440 students. Buckeye Boys State is an eight-day hands-on experience in the operation of the democratic form of government, the organization of political parties, and the relationship of one to the other in shaping Ohio government.

“Buckeye Boys State is an incredible opportunity. Roughly 1,000 students attend each year and they provide remarkable training opportunities,” Col. Chris Salvucci, head of KCCC’s AFJROTC, said.

McNamara, Boucher, and Rodriguez each had a specific role during their eight-day experience. McNamara worked in the state building as the operations director under the adjutant general. Boucher worked under the adjutant general as well in disaster relief. Rodriguez was a part of the city council and the voting process.

The Buckeye Boys State experience was unique and engaging, according to these three young men.

“We had a blast. It was really a neat experience and well put together by the American Legion. We heard from a World War II veteran one night. It was very patriotic and heart-warming,” McNamara said. “We made a lot of friends during our time together. We still keep in touch with people from Buckeye Boys State.”

Boucher found out that the roles in government can be a lot to handle.

“Government is hectic. I’m not sure I could work in it. The legal processes are unique,” Boucher said.

Rodriguez added, “It was a great experience getting to work with other people and hear their ideas. Everyone was trying to figure out how to do their job.”

Major Chris Ballard was a part of the interview team that interviewed McNamara, Boucher, and Rodriguez prior to them being selected for Buckeye Boys State. Major Ballard is a 2001 graduate of East Knox High School and the Knox County Career Center (Carpentry). Major Ballard was selected to attend Buckeye Boys State in 2000, has served as a counselor and a commissioner, and is now a Buckeye Boys State Board of Trustees member.

“Buckeye Boys State aims to hone leadership skills and provide a government education that these young men are going to use the rest of their lives,” Major Ballard said. “Buckeye Boys State is a learn-by-doing program. It’s a leadership-building program. It opened my eyes to what could be and opened the opportunity for me with the Army National Guard. It was a life-changing event for me.”

McNamara, Boucher, and Rodriguez had various takeaways from their experience that they can apply to their daily lives.

“Working with Major Ballard was one of the highlights of my experience. We learned how you have to be ready for anything and be ready to tackle impossible tasks,” McNamara said. “When we worked with the National Guard, Major Ballard kept us busy. He gave us scenarios that we had to figure out and we did a war game. He gave us an almost impossible task–multiple tornadoes in multiple counties. We put a presentation together of how we were going to handle it. We had to give a presentation to our parents about the work we put in to take care of each task.”

Buckeye Boys State is only open to boys after they have completed their junior year in high school. 

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We were surrounded by really good, smart people. I matured as a person and it helped me develop leadership skills,” McNamara said.

For more information on Buckeye Boys State, please visit ohiobuckeyeboysstate.com.