Auburn’s Olga Diupina was one of 100 young women selected to attend the 72nd American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) Girls Nation session this week in Washington, D.C.
As part of the premier ALA program, two outstanding high school seniors were selected to represent their respective state as “senators” at ALA Girls Nation after participating in one of 50 ALA Girls State sessions throughout the country. ALA Girls Nation is a seven-day leadership conference that provides aspiring young women leaders with practical insight into how the federal government operates, instills a sense of pride in our country, and promotes youth civic engagement. Many participants of the program go on to have careers in public service at the local, state, and national level.
Diupina, a senior at Auburn Riverside High School, was active in many ways during her week at ALA Washington Girls State. She also participated in many activities in her school and community. She was the swim team captain and was awarded student of the month.
At ALA Girls Nation, Diupina participated in mock senate sessions complete with caucusing and debating of bills that range in topic from personal to political interests. Other activities on the agenda included a visit to the White House where the senators met the president, a meeting with state senators on Capitol Hill, a community service project, a visit to Arlington National Cemetery where they placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a tour of the D.C. monuments, and a visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Founded in 1919, the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) helps to advance the mission of The American Legion. With nearly three-quarters of a million members, it is the world’s largest women’s patriotic service organization and one of the nation’s most prominent supporters of veterans, military, and their families. ALA members volunteer millions of hours annually, with a value averaging $1.5 billion each year. From helping to draft the GI Bill in 1944 to advocating for veterans on Capitol Hill, The American Legion Family has been instrumental in advancing legislation that improves the quality of life for our nation’s veterans.
To learn more and get involved, visit ALAforVeterans.org.
Elsewhere
Auburn’s Miles Veal and 45 college-bound high school students with disabilities recently came together on the University of Washington campus to participate in the annual DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology) Scholars Summer Study program. DO-IT Scholars spent 10 days this month living on campus, participating in an intensive program designed to promote college and career success. The students discovered challenging careers in fields such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics. …
Auburn’s Hyoyeon Jeong has been named to the dean’s list for spring semester at MCPHS University. Hyoyeon, who is pursuing a doctor of Pharmacy, will graduate from the Boston campus in 2023. The dean’s list recognizes those students with a full-time course load who have achieved outstanding scholarship with a 3.5 GPA or higher for the academic term. … Madison Newell of Auburn has received a bachelor of arts degree in communication from the University of Alabama. The school awarded some 5,436 degrees during spring 2018 commencement May 4-6. … Katherine Swofford, a home-schooled student from Auburn, is a National Merit Liberty University Scholarship winner. She is considering a career in linguistics.
