Peabody-Burns High School junior Paige Barnes will attend the 67th annual Sunflower Girls State in Lawrence next week, and will be sponsored by Peabody American Legion Post 95 Auxiliary.

“I’m looking forward to the experience,” said Barnes. “Eventually I would like to go into journalism and I think every journalist needs a good basic understanding of government.

“I feel I need to know more about how things work at the city, state, and national levels,” she added.

The purpose of Kansas Girls State is to instill a sense of responsibility to community, state, and nation. As the young women participate in basic training in government and citizenship, they also learn they have a responsibility to help preserve the integrity of the nation by carrying on the ideals and principles of the country’s founders.

“We are pleased to have Paige represent Post 95,” Myrna Wood said, American Legion Auxiliary member. “The girls selected to attend must respect our country’s flag, have an interest in government, have a good scholastic record, exhibit leadership, good character, maturity, and cooperativeness.

“We think Paige will represent us well.”