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Danbury Teen Selected To Visit D.C., Meet With President Obama

DANBURY, Conn. – Danbury High School student Lexie Prendergast got a chance to see how government operates when she worked as a U.S. Senate page last fall, but this summer she will get to meet President Barack Obama and try her hand at legislating through the Girls Nation program.

Kate Lindenberg and Lexie Prendergast have been selected to represent Connecticut at Girls Nation in Washington, D.C.

Kate Lindenberg and Lexie Prendergast have been selected to represent Connecticut at Girls Nation in Washington, D.C.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Lexie Prendergast (second from right) and other delegates from Laurel Girls State, along with Sen. Richard Blumenthal

Lexie Prendergast (second from right) and other delegates from Laurel Girls State, along with Sen. Richard Blumenthal

Photo Credit: Contributed

Girls Nation is a program sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary that brings 98 girls from across the country for a week in Washington, D.C., to gain firsthand insight into how the federal government works. The participants will debate federal issues and pass bills in a mock legislature. They will also tour the nation’s capital and get a chance to meet with and interview Obama.

“I cannot express how excited I am,” Prendergast said. “I’m already thinking of questions I want to ask, and I’m so honored to have this opportunity to meet the Commander-in-Chief of our country. I admire a lot of his policies, and I’m looking forward to talking to him about his personal position on a lot of today’s issues.”

Prendergast will represent Connecticut along with Ridgefield’s Kate Lindenberg. They both took part in Laurel Girls State last week at Eastern Connecticut State University, where they were among 150 girls who participated in a mock state legislature. They were divided into parties and elected party leadership, discussed and debated key issues, and presented and voted on legislation.

While she has an interest in politics and got a chance to see how the process works when she was a page, Prendergast said she learned a lot about what it means to be a political representative during her time at Girls State.

“You have to be personable, you have to door-to-door and talk to people about the issues. You have to show them that you do care, and that you’re not a person who wants to just stand up and lead, but that you want to lead for them,” she said.

She’s looking forward to gaining a deeper understanding of how the federal government works. She’s also hoping for the opportunity to speak to representatives about their political experiences.

“I’m looking forward to asking the questions I couldn’t ask before and gaining a deeper understand of politics and helping people through public service. Because in the end, politics is all about public service and providing for other people,” Prendergast said.

Prendergast is entering her senior year at Danbury High School, and is looking at colleges with political programs. She said she is thinking about going into law, and has given a lot of thought about whether she would want to run for office one day.

“If given the opportunity I might choose to branch out into politics, but I don’t believe in career politicians. I would only go into politics if I thought that could allow me to help other people.”

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