Dear 2009 Girls State Citizens:

I would like to congratulate you on being chosen to participate in South Dakota Girls State 2009. You have been recognized as an accomplished you woman in both your school and community and now you will be given the chance to share your talents with other girls of the same caliber. Your week spent at Girls State is sure to be one filled with learning experiences and memories that will stay with you the rest of your life.

My best advice to you coming into this week is to bring an ambitious attitude to get involved. Girls State presents many opportunities if you put yourself out there and take advantage of everything it has to offer. The more you do , the more you will learn and appreciated this wonderful opportunity. Your week will be what you make of it, and I want to encourage everyone to have an open mind and most of all have fun.

I am looking forward to being able to spend this week with you as you discover how powerful a group of intelligent young women can be. I hope this will be as memorable an experience for you as it was for me, and that you learn more about government while making life long memories and friends in the process. Congratulations again and I wish you all the best at Girls State 2009!

Whitney Jencks

2008 South Dakota Girls State Governor