A Mehlville Senior High School student participated in the American Legion Boys State of Missouri earlier this summer on the campus of the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg.

Brennan Thomas Bourgeois was selected based on his leadership, citizenship, academics and character during his junior year at Mehlville High, according to a news release.

Boys State is a pure democracy in that all citizens may vote and are eligible to hold office.

The program is designed to educate and train Missouri’s young leaders in functional citizenship, leadership and government.

Nearly 1,000 student leaders build an entire state government in a single week, the release stated.

Bourgeois’ accomplishments, positions held and awards earned at Missouri Boys State include: citizen of Ingle City, member of the Nationalist Party and Ward II fireman.

He attended Law Enforcement School while participating in Boys State.

Bourgeois, son of Tom and Kelly Bourgeois of Oakville, was sponsored by Timothy and Lisa Rabbitt, Webster Groves Lions Club.

Sponsors afford the opportunity for students to participate in this nationally recognized program and are critical to its continued success, the release stated.

Organizations, businesses and individuals interested in be-coming a sponsor are asked to contact the Missouri Boys State Headquarters at (877) 342-5627.

The entire Boys State staff is comprised of educational, legal, professional and civic leaders who volunteer their time each year.

Missouri Boys State is a 501(c)(3) organization and is a Missouri American Legion program.

Students who will be juniors during the 2013-2014 academic year and are interested in attending should contact their high school counselor or visit the Missouri Boys State website at

, ac-cording to the release.

In-school informational presentations by a Boys State staff member are available by emailing bettie.rusher@moboysstate.org.