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Morrisey addresses Girls State

Gov. Patrick Morrisey speaks at American Legion Auxiliary WV Rhododendron Girls State on Sunday, at Davis & Elkins College’s Myles Center for the Arts in Elkins. (Photo by Taylor McKinnie/The Inter-Mountain)

ELKINS — Gov. Patrick Morrisey addressed more than 200 American Legion Auxiliary WV Rhododendron Girls State attendees in an opening-day speech Sunday at Davis & Elkins College’s Myles Center for the Arts.

Speaking at the 82nd annual Girls State, which hosts soon-to-be high school seniors from all over the state, marks the seventh-straight year that Morrisey has addressed Girl State. Morrisey told The Inter-Mountain that he believed it has been a “long time” since a West Virginia governor attended the event.

“I was very happy to go,” Morrisey said Monday. “Quite frankly, I get inspired when I go and speak to these kids, and listen to them.”

In his speech, Morrisey talked about the opportunities the attendees are going to have in West Virginia in the future, and gave recommendations on how to “better succeed in life.” He also fielded questions about what his office is currently working on.

“They asked a lot of incredible questions, and that’s not surprising, because these kids are just so wonderful and are some of the best and brightest in West Virginia,” Morrisey said. “They demonstrate that every year, and they’re always incredibly fun and they ask very probing questions, so it was nice to spend a little bit of time with them and engage and talk about how they’re going to be the future leaders of West Virginia.”

Morrisey said it felt incredible to return to Girls State, calling his annual visits to Girls State and the American Legion Mountaineer Boys State “the highlight of my year.” For Morrisey, Girls State and Boys State not only give him the chance to listen to the next generation, but to also get people, both youth and adults, to come together to “save our future.”

“We do have challenges in West Virginia, and we have to be honest about those challenges to our young people, but we can overcome them,” Morrisey said. “We can overcome them by everyone coming together, working very hard and just pursuing policies that are going to be keeping more people in West Virginia and attracting more people to our state.”

One of the “principle duties” of a governor, Morrisey explained, is to look out for the children of the state because “they’re our future.”

Every year, Morrisey said he asks Girls State and Boys State attendees how many of them want to attend college, with most attendees raising their hands. When Morrisey then asks them how many of them believe there will be a good job opportunity available for them in the state when they finish college, Morrisey said the number of hands raised shrinks to around 20-30%.

“We’re not going to succeed as a state until more and more people truly believe that there will be great opportunities out there for them,” Morrisey said. “I believe that, and we have to convey that and be specific, so that they know West Virginia is going to be that dynamic place into the future. It has a lot of incredible aspects, but folks need to know that, and they have to be a part of that ‘comeback story’ to allow West Virginia to start to move the needle in the rankings.”

Morrisey will attend Boys State at Jackson’s Mill in Weston later this week.

This year’s Girls State will also feature speeches from officials and distinguished guests including U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito; West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner; State Treasurer Larry Pack; West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey; retired Fire Chief Jan Radar; Warrior Project Pearl founder Jay Trickett; WV First Foundation Executive Director Jonathan Board; and Old Brick Playhouse Executive Director Missy Armentrout McCollam.

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