Libertyville Legion celebrates local teen attending national leadership event
Libertyville resident Kevin Heller is not shy about the importance of his participation at the American Legion Boys Nation in Washington, D.C. this summer.
“It changed my life,” the 18-year-old recently told a group of Libertyville American Legion Post 329 members and Boys and Girls State alumni.
Vice Commander Don Carter had announced that night that Heller was the first high school student from Libertyville in more than 25 years to represent Illinois at Boys Nation. Heller was selected at the annual Boys State event at Eastern Illinois University.
American Legion Boys State/Nation is a youth leadership program that offers workshops and firsthand experiences for high school junior boys and girls to learn citizenship and the workings of government.
Boys State/Nation and its counterpart American Legion Auxiliary Girls State/Nation have been operating since 1935 and 1937, respectively. Millions of youth attending the programs have learned experientially what it’s like to be elected to office, write legislation and to perform the duties of citizenship.
Selected students first attend the state event. At the close of that program, two teens are tapped to attend Boys Nation or Girls Nation as senators representing that state.
One highlight for Heller was a chance to meet President Barack Obama. It wasn’t a sure thing, given that it was the last week in July when Congress was furiously working on extending the nation’s debt ceiling.
However, at the last minute, the Boys Nation members were told they would meet the president at the White House.
“He walked into the room and said ‘How’s it going, guys.’ Everyone stood up and cheered. He shook all 98 senators’ hands and then posed for pictures,” Heller said.
Since Heller and his fellow senator from Illinois, Payton Head of Chicago, hailed from the same state as Obama, they had the honor of presenting him with a Boys Nation navy blue polo shirt.
Heller proposed two bills while at Boys Nation and helped to develop platforms sent to the president at the close of the program. One sought funding for U.S. energy sources that would eventually lower energy costs and end reliance on foreign sources.
The other piece of legislation outlined a method of naturalizing illegal immigrants and tying new citizenship to a tax incentive that would ultimately lower the tax rate.
“Just like in our government, there were a lot of problems with bills getting stuck in committees,” Heller said. Other senators also proposed energy bills and “Dream Act” legislation and Heller provided information for those bills.
Heller, a Libertyville High School senior, has continued to nurture his passion for politics by leading the high school component of “Americans Elect 2012”, a nonpartisan organization that focuses on the merits of the candidate, not party affiliation.
“I’m trying to create a group of informed voters at the high school level. It’s our future and it does matter,” he said.
The Legionnaires presented the young Boys and Girls State alumni with certificates of recognition and invited them to encourage the next year’s group to get involved in Boys and Girls State.
“I’m so thankful to the Legionnaires for sending me to Boys State,” Heller said. “These American heroes are looking for innovation from the younger generation. We can lead by being politicians, teachers or participate in the Armed Services.”