NORTH BRUNSWICK – For the first time in more than a decade, a student from North Brunswick has been elected “governor.”
The American Legion is the host to Jersey Boys State every year, a summer leadership and citizenship program that asks participants to govern a mythical 51st state using conventional forms of government.
The 2018 representative from North Brunswick Township High School (NBTHS) was George Afoakwah, chosen in his junior year by members of the school.
“I’ve been in this country for two years, so I need to know what other kids know that I don’t know,” said Afoakwah, who is taking American Military History this year, previously taking Advanced Placement U.S. History II.
Afoakwah left his mother and sister in Ghana to live with his father in North Brunswick. His older brother attends Kean University.
“It wasn’t hard at all,” Afoakwah said of the transition to life in the United States. “My country is a former British colony so I speak English so it’s easy to fit in.”
He said he does go home to visit his family, but “at some point I want to reunite my entire family.”
Coming to America as a 16-year-old was impacted greatly by his experience with the staff at the school.
“I’m incredibly lucky with my teachers. They gave me good grounds. They allow me to express myself,” he said.
This wisdom far beyond his age is a reason he was chosen to participate in Boys State.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to Americanize myself and learn,” he said.
As part of Grant City, named after Ulysses S. Grant, Afoakwah decided from day one that he wanted to run for an elected position. The boys had to choose mayors, a county supervisor, freeholders and eventually a governor.
He said he told his counterparts, “I’m George. I’m from North Brunswick. And I want to compete.”
That competitive nature shows itself in sports, too – Afoakwah was elected county executive, but the next day while the process continued for the position of governor, he sprained his ankle and was in the emergency room instead of securing signatures for his ticket.
Just meeting the deadline, he was able to get his name on the ballot and write a speech for primaries the next morning. However, because of his injured ankle, he couldn’t run around campus seeking support, so he said he sat in front of the dining hall to talk to boys who stopping by.
“If you see a large group of boys, it attracts other boys to sign up,” he said.
Needing 45 signatures, he obtained 60, giving him the edge.
He said he won the primary “pretty easily” because “I told them how much I love this country, what I’ve learned and what I’ve seen.” He said the boys were chanting his name.
For the main event, Afoakwah said his party platform was the environment.
“Some political issues are controversial and tear people apart,” he said.
Afoakwah said the moment he heard his name announced as governor “was just crazy.”
“They said, ‘The governor from city …’ and then paused – at that point, I could feel my spirit leave my body. Then they said City 17 and I was so happy,” he recalled.
After taking photos, he rode in a New Jersey State Police car, played sports again, but then had to go to his office to start working. He had to fill 46 different positions, and “wanted to appoint people who are hard working and open-minded because that is what we need the most in New Jersey.”
Getting to work right away, the government passed the School Act, calling for two police officers at every school campus, and having a patrol car within a two-minute reaction time.
The Veterans Transportation Act decreased the cost of public transportation for veterans by 60 percent.
“The rationale behind it is, if someone is giving their life to this country, moving from point A to point B across this land should be easy for him,” Afoakwah said.
The Concealed Carry Firearms Act applies to former law enforcement officers and veterans who pass a background check.
“If they served in uniform and still want to protect the lives of Americans out of uniform, they should be able to do it,” Afoakwah said.
And although Afoakwah said he is not a supporter of marijuana, he said he knew he had to compromise on legalization because instead of imprisoning people for a minor offense – and having to pay to feed, clothe and shelter them while in jail – those people could be working and contributing to the economy. He said alcohol and tobacco are legal, and there could be money to be made in the marijuana business.
On the other hand, he vetoed a bill to change the drinking age from 21 to 18. He said teenagers are prone to car accidents, which is the largest cause of death for teens, so he thought it was too dangerous of a move.
Afoakwah was honored by the American Legion during a ceremony at NBTHS on Oct. 29. Although his current focus is on biology, French and history, he said he could see a future in politics.
“How I see our generation, I think a lot of kids don’t think for themselves. If we don’t have freedom of thought, who are we as a people?” he said.
“Maybe I’ll run for the governor of New Jersey at some point. That would be interesting. That would be fun. … All I want to do is give back to the state that accepted my family when we migrated. New Jersey has given us a new start. I just want to give back to New Jersey because I love it.”
American Legion Jersey Boys State was held June 17-22 at Rider University.
The last student to have been elected governor from NBTHS was the late Byron Goundrey, in 2005.
Contact Jennifer Amato at [email protected].