Suwannee High School (SHS) juniors Carston Palmer, Jake Wooley and Devin Tran will serve as the three representatives for SHS at the 2022 Boys State Session.
Prior to the interview, all three had an idea of what to expect. Palmer said, “One of my buddies went last year and he told me it was really prestigious and a lot of fun. I was a little questionable about it at first because I did not know too much and I was nervous I would be completely overwhelmed, but I love the fellowship of it so I’m excited to go.”
Although Palmer, Wooley and Tran felt prepared going in to the interview, there still were a couple of surprising questions. Wooley said, “There was one that embarrassed me. He asked me how many ounces were in a gallon and I blanked.” Tran knew the correct answer was 128 ounces in a gallon but still felt the pressure from the interview. Tran said, “I felt the interview was to test your character more than general knowledge. It was pretty relaxed at the end but at first I was really tense.”
Once at the Boys State Session, they hoped to absorb as much information as possible. Palmer said, “I just want to take it all in. I want to see how they do things; I want to get a behind the scenes look at law-making and writing bills.”
While Boys State is just a weeklong experience, it could help shape the future of Wooley. “I am kind of in-between career options,” Wooley explained, “I do not know if I want to lean towards medical and go to be a doctor or if I want to go the lawyer route. I think this will help me explore that path and see if that is something I have passion about.”
SHS Guidance Counselor Melinda Griffith said, “I would like to start by saying I am thrilled with the selection for Boys State. When I saw who was being interviewed, I was worried about which one of the boys would be selected. I just kept thinking about each one and the strengths each boy has. When I was told they got special permission to have all three boys I was so proud of the boys. I knew it would be a hard decision. All three boys are hard workers and strive to do the best in all their different endeavors. Some do advanced placement, some dual enrollment. It does not matter what path they have chosen, they take that path whole-heartedly. One thing I know for sure, Suwannee High School and Suwannee County will be proudly represented in Tallahassee this summer.”
“The main thing I want to get from Boys State is connections,” says Tran.
Florida State University will host the 2022 Boys State Session from June 19-25, 2022.