SOUTH BRUNSWICK — Nick Perkons is one of two representatives from New Jersey selected to attend the simulation Boys Nation in Washington, D.C., July 17-25.
Perkons, a Kendall Park resident, was selected as a delegate to Boys State at Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, where he will be a senior this fall.
Boys State is a mythical 51st state organized and administered for citizenship training purposes under the American Legion. Delegates elect fellow students as representatives to local, county and state positions to resemble the actual inner workings of the government. The participants learn about rights and privileges of citizens, legislative sessions, court proceedings and law enforcement.
Of the 900 participants involved with Boys State, Perkons was chosen to go to Boys Nation, which will take the event to a higher level. As part of the Federalist Party, he participated in a primary process, gave speeches, debated a fellow candidate and eventually won his party’s nomination.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking in the beginning,” he said. “It was a risk-free environment, which was the best part about it.” Calling it “quite an honor,” he will now travel to Marymount University and meet with various senators and representatives, possibly meet President Barack Obama,
tour the National Mall, hear from a clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court, speak with the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, tour the Department of State, White House and/or Capitol Hill, listen to a Holocaust survivor, lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, and then participate in a mock session to talk about bills that all of the participants were asked to prewrite.
“It’s like behind-the-scenes, seeing what everyday people do to make things happen,” Perkons said. The 16-year-old has some experience with the political realm, having been to D.C. a few times and having taken an Advanced Placement U.S. History course and taking part in Model United Nations and Model Congress at his school.
The varsity tennis player is also the president of the National Honor Society, a student government representative, a peer leader, a Math League president, a Phone-a- Thon participant, an Eagle Scout, and the director of altar serving at St. Augustine of Canterbury in Kendall Park.
“This is more of a hobby, but especially after Boys State, I think this may be something to do after my career as a way to give back, but not a primary job,” Perkons said.
In the meantime, he plans to run as the Federalist Party nominee for president or vice president.
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