Move over, Hillary, Fremd girl heads to D.C. for leadership conference

Elisabeth "Bizzy" Mellado used to dream of one day being elected president.

"I can find essays that I wrote in fifth grade where I said things like, 'When I become president ...'" she said.

Now heading into her senior year at Fremd High School, the South Barrington teen's focus has shifted somewhat. But she's still interested in politics and government.

And as one of only two girls representing Illinois at next week's Girls Nation leadership conference in Washington, D.C., Mellado will get unique insight into that world.

Over the course of the week, she and 95 other young female "senators" will organize political parties, submit legislation, participate in senate sessions, hold a national convention and elect their own president. They'll also visit the White House, the Pentagon, Capitol Hill and Arlington National Cemetery.

In the past, some legislation proposed at Girls Nation actually made it to the real Congress and became law.

Girls Nation is sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary, and only two girls per state were chosen for it from the 17,000 young women who participated in Girls State conferences.

To make it to the national level, one thing Mellado had to do was present a bill in front of about 100 girls.

"It takes a lot of courage," she said. "We propose the bill, and then these girls try and slam it down or ask questions about it, or about you. ... At first it's really criticizing. A lot of girls couldn't handle it and they would run off the stage crying, but then I turned the criticism into constructive criticism and said, 'OK, this part of my bill isn't that good. I need to fix it.'"

The Girls State delegates ultimately chose Mellado and her bill for Girls Nation, which she called "a huge honor."

It also puts her in an esteemed group of Girls Nation alumni that includes Vice President Cheney's wife Lynne, news anchor Jane Pauley, and Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire.

As for pursuing the real presidency, Mellado is uncertain.

"I don't want to live my life just to become the president," she said. "I want to experience things around the world."

Then again, if an Oval Office opportunity opens up for Mellado someday, she said, "I'll do it."