California Student Elected President of the 2018 American Legion Boys Nation

A prominent leader emerged from Boys Nation Tuesday night.

Joshua Cheadle, of Newport Coast, Calif., was elected President of The American Legion Boys Nation at Marymount University for the 2018 program. During the election, which was run as a mock presidential campaign, Cheadle won against the delegate from Idaho, Braden Thomas.

“I decided to run for president because growing up was kind of difficult for me, making friends … it was hard to gel with other people. Then I started doing debate and mock trial and I just fell in love with policy, with research, with watching the news, but more importantly with talking to other people and with engaging,” said Cheadle, who previously served as his party’s chairman at California Boys State. “I loved that position, I wanted to work with other people, and I thought president would be the best position to do that.”

Boys Nation, a signature program of the nation’s largest veterans’ service organization, provides an intensive week-long, hands-on education in American politics and the legislative system for a select group of high school students each year.

“What I’m trying to achieve (this week) is not what I want to do, it’s making sure that everyone else can do what they want to do, and that’s helping them pass their legislation, talking to them, and just making sure that everything’s passed, everything’s done with honor, with integrity and we do it to the best of our abilities. Make this a memorable experience not because this is Boys Nation but because of what we accomplish at Boys Nation,” Cheadle said.

An incoming senior at Sage Hill School, Cheadle plans on attending the University of Pennsylvania and pursuing a career in business and/or finance.

Two representatives from each of the 50 Boys States represent their home state or, in the case of the District of Columbia, their district as a senator. The senators caucus at the beginning of the session, organize into committees and conduct hearings on bills, allowing delegates to learn the proper legislative procedures according to the U.S. Senate. Activities include mock party conventions, legislative elections, debates, speeches and visits to Capitol Hill and other historical sites. Delegates will also visit the offices of their state’s respective members of Congress and present bills of their own creation.

Since Boys Nation began in 1946, a number of its graduates have been elected to public office, including presidents, congressmen, state governors and state legislators.

Photos of Cheadle at Boys Nation are available at http://elvis.legion.org:8080/?w=WiX6kRf.