Watsonville High School juniors Brianna Barrera (with sign, left), alternative delegate and delegate Michelle Sanchez were chosen for California Boys and Girls State 2026 March 13. Joining them are Ana Leonor, Assistant Principal (from left), Russell Gray, Edward Lorenson, counselor Daisy Nunez, Amanda Sandoval, and Barbara Adamski. (WHS photography class)

Watsonville High School juniors Michelle Sanchez and Brianna Barrera were selected for California Boys and Girls State by Edward H. Lorenson American Legion Post 121 of Watsonville.

\Commander Jose Medina, Adjutant Barbara Adamski and Historian Russell Gray chose the two students for their “Leadership skills, ability to self-start and involvement in work for their school and the community,” Adamski  said. 

Both students will receive a $500 scholarship thanks to Post 121. The selection asks the students for a commitment of attending Boys and Girls State, and that the scholarship be used for school-related purposes.  

Attendance at Boys and Girls State offers a week where participants are immersed in lessons of citizenship, rights, privileges and responsibilities, and includes the structure of city, county, and state government based on the California State Constitution.

“Delegates will replicate reality by taking charge of their day to day experiences while being elected to city, county, and state offices, orchestrating a symphony of legislative sessions, court proceedings, law-enforcement showcases, and assemblies that make current government officials accessible,” Adamski said.

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Tarmo Hannula has been the lead photographer with The Pajaronian newspaper in Watsonville since 1997. More recently Good Times & Press Banner. He also reports on a wide range of topics, including police, fire, environment, schools, the arts and events. A fifth generation Californian, Tarmo was born in the Mother Lode of the Sierra (Columbia) and has lived in Santa Cruz County since the late 1970s. He earned a BA from UC Santa Cruz and has traveled to 33 countries.

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