For rising high school seniors across the nation, Boys State is far more than a summer camp, it is a crucible of civic leadership, where young men are tested, challenged, and transformed into principled citizens ready to lead their communities and serve their country.
“Boys State is the premier civic leadership development program for high school students in the nation,” said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Brandon Reese, the Training Team Officer of the 8th Marine Corps District. “It gives rising seniors the opportunity to leave their comfort zones, build new relationships, and tackle complex societal issues. They learn to form coalitions, write compelling speeches, and speak with purpose. These are the core muscles of leadership.”
Over one dynamic week, delegates step into roles as governors, judges, legislators, and civic leaders. Assigned to fictional cities and political parties, they’re challenged to create a functioning government from the ground up. The experience is immersive, fast-paced, and designed to push every participant beyond the expected.
“Rising seniors come in as blank slates,” said Daren Brabham, Assistant Director for Texas Boys State. “We give them only structure and deadlines. Everything they build, every policy, every choice, is in their hands.”
The pressure is real. Delegates must campaign for office, run city councils, draft and pass legislation, and lead through uncertainty. They work under the same high-stakes conditions found in public life.
“Most of them rise to the occasion,” Brabham said. “They take risks, make hard calls, and grow through every success and setback. Even those who lose elections emerge stronger and more confident.”
Brabham, a Boys State alumnus from 1999, reflected on the program’s personal impact. “You find yourself in front of strangers, giving speeches, trying to lead,” he said. “Doubt creeps in, but then you realize everyone else is struggling, too. That shared struggle becomes your forge.”
Graduates of Boys State take with them more than political lessons, they carry a deepened self-awareness and renewed sense of responsibility. Leadership becomes not about power or title, but about service, accountability, and the courage to act.
That ethos aligns squarely with the values of the United States Marine Corps. Honor, courage, and commitment are not slogans, they are expectations. Both Marines and Boys State delegates are called to live by them. At their core, Boys State and the Marine Corps share a mission: to develop leaders of character who act with integrity, rise under pressure, and put mission before self. Whether a graduate becomes a Marine, a mayor, or a mentor in their hometown, the foundation remains the same.
“We’re a big program with a proud legacy,” Brabham said. “And each year, we get stronger.”
“Not every Boys State graduate joins the military,” he added, “but those who do thrive. All of them leave more disciplined, more focused, and better prepared to lead wherever life takes them.”
| Date Taken: | 06.20.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.25.2025 13:31 |
| Story ID: | 501171 |
| Location: | AUSTIN, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 10 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Boys State: Cultivating the Core of Future Leaders, by Cpl Jose Cruz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
