The Ridgefield-based American Legion post sponsored two students – Nathan Kim of Ridgefield and Roberto Valdez of Seton Catholic – to attend Boys State in Moses Lake, a program that gives students the opportunity to run a mock government

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

Chaotic. 

Sometimes messy.

Always exciting.

That is how two Clark County high school students described their experiences at the recent Boys State program in Moses Lake.

Nathan Kim, who just completed his junior year at Ridgefield High School, and Roberto Valdez, who just completed his junior year at Seton Catholic High School, gave their report to American Legion Post 44 on Tuesday. 

“This was a very eye opening experience,” Valdez said.

It was a bit intense, too, Kim said.

“I came in there, ‘Oh yeah, I know a little bit about politics. Then I saw the people who were debating. ‘I don’t even know what they are talking about,’” Kim said as members of the Legion laughed and nodded in agreement. “I learned a lot more about politics and the operation of government.”

Post 44, based in Ridgefield, sponsored Kim and Valdez to attend Boys State, a program run by the American Legion that educates high school students about American government and civics through a mock state government simulation.

Kaia Offutt of Castle Rock also described her experience in the Oratorical competition. The American Legion also runs a Girl State program, which Offutt said she is looking forward to attending next year.

As far as Boys State, Kim quickly adapted to the environment. From being a little overwhelmed to running for office.

“I didn’t really know what was going on. I just shook hands, met a lot of people, made a lot of friends,” Kim said. 

He was elected as Lt. Governor of the fictional state. He ended up running the mock senate, ensuring the senators followed the correct procedures.

Valdez was a house representative and sergeant of arms. 

“I had to learn how to keep the peace a little bit, especially when people weren’t agreeing on certain policies,” Valdez said.

American Legion members asked questions about the experience. What is one word to describe Boys State?

“Chaotic or messy,” Kim acknowledged. “Even in my own party, we had a plan to tackle homelessness. We’d talk later, and ‘I thought it was this plan, not this plan.’ So much confusion and arguing.”

Valdez said that was exciting. “A lot of arguing, but it was a lot of fun, too.”

Parents were also part of Tuesday’s meeting. They were asked how Boys State affected their sons.

“He learned a lot,” Eric Kim said of Nathan. “We had a three-and-a-half hour ride home and that is all we talked about the whole ride home. Thank you all for this great opportunity.”

Robert Valdez was impressed with the change in Roberto in just a couple of days.

“When I dropped him off, he seemed a little reserved, a little anxious to participate. When I picked him up, he was definitely elated,” Robert said. “He was so grateful he had the opportunity to attend. It isn’t easy running government. It’s a challenge. He came into his own, learning to work with others.”

Roberto agreed. 

“You have to be outgoing. I’m more of an introverted person. At Boys State, it definitely brought me out of my shell,” Roberto said.

Both Roberto and Nathan acknowledged that one of the reasons they looked into Boys State is because it was an extracurricular activity that would look impressive on an application. Roberto Valdez hopes to attend the Air Force Academy. Nathan Kim wants to attend the Naval Academy.

It turned out, it was so much more than something for an application, they said.

“Go for it to learn about government, to see how the system functions. It was a great experience,” Roberto Valdez said.

The American Legion’s Oratorical Contest showcases high school students and their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution.

“I learned a lot of determination and effort,” Offutt said via a streaming device that linked with the meeting. “I looked around at a lot of my peers … and just saw how hard and determined that they worked, and the effort that they put into their speeches. … That encouraged me to work even harder.”

The sponsorships were made possible by the Dorothy Dwyer Fund. Dwyer was a World War II veteran who eventually moved to Ridgefield and was the oldest member of American Legion Post 44 when she died at 98 in 2019.