Six Mehlville School District juniors were selected to spend a week on the campus of Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg this summer as part of the American Legion Boys’ State program.

Representing the Mehlville School District at Boys’ State this year were: Ian Darnell, Kaleb Kolb, Ryan Richter and Bryan Van Gronigen, of Oakville Senior High School, along with Derek Weiss and Rahul Nemani, both of Mehlville Senior High School.

The six students were selected based on their leadership and citizenship skills.

This year marks the 65th year that the American Legion has sponsored the Boys’ State of Missouri program.

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 work together to build an entire state government in a single week.

Across the nation, the American Legion Boys’ States has shaped some of the most prominent leaders in this country. Former President Bill Clinton, basketball legend Michael Jordan, world-renowned astronaut Neil Armstrong and Missouri Gov. Bob Holden are just a few of the prominent leaders to have come from the Boys’ State program.