State Treasurer Young Boozer knows how to laugh at himself.

“Yes, that’s my real name,” he grinned as he addressed this year’s Girls State delegates during a Thursday session.

Boozer, who is 17 months in office, shared with the young women – many of whom were awaiting Girls State election results – what it was like for him when he found out he’d been elected state treasurer.

“The most humble feeling came over me,” Boozer said. “And then I was overcome by the most powerful feeling of responsibility.”

Boozer told the delegates about women who had been positive influences in his life, including his daughter, Alexis, an actor in Los Angeles.

Boozer said that unlike most people who only interview for jobs one or twice in their lives, Alexis goes on auditions every day. Boozer said his daughter’s dedication is admirable.

“He obviously has a good-relationship with his daughter and that made me feel as if he could really relate to us,” said Olivia Hudson, a delegate from Charles Henderson High School.

Hudson was elected to a city council position in charge of the parks and recreations department in her Girls State City and she is also a Nationalist candidate for circuit clerk.

“I didn’t know much about politics and didn’t really have an interest in it, but now I understand what I hear about on television. I really enjoy the time we have debating bills in the [Girls State] Senate,” Hudson said.

Sarah-Hayden Hollis, the delegate from Pike Liberal Arts School, said she was surprised by how much she’d learned.

“It’s not boring, at all,” Hollis said. “It’s very interesting and I feel that I can make better decisions about what is going on around me in the future.”

More than 300 young women from 67 counties participated in this year’s Girls State program held at Troy University sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary.

The goal of the program is to educate women about government and service and the delegates were chosen based on scholastic achievement, grade point average, community involvement and patriotism.