Evan Thornton, an upcoming 17-year-old high school senior, is the third son of Sheila and Brian Thornton to attend Boys State in their family. Evan also enjoys band, choir, and E-sports.

Over the past few years, Sheila has been very pleased with the fact that all of her sons have attended Oklahoma Boys State, though at different campuses. Bryce went in 2018, Denver in 2021 and now Evan attended the fall of 2023.

Oklahoma American Legion Boys State is an intense week of courses on non-partisan leadership, government, and patriotism sponsored by the American Legion of Oklahoma. Delegates to Boys State have just completed their junior year of high school and have been selected by their local American Legion Post as a representative of their community.

This year Evan attended Rogers State College, staying in the dorms and learning about city government through his enrollment into Oklahoma Boys State. Each dorm level is a city with elected officials from a mayor to chief of police and more. Then throughout the week attendees learn about state and city government and how it all works together.

Sheila really liked the military part of the program where Evan and other young men learned marches, chats and even did a retirement ceremony, where they were taught how to properly dispose of an American flag. She also liked how the family received courtesy updates each day of what their children were doing and learning. During Evan’s stay, the campus had severe weather and had to take cover from a tornado that hit Claremore, but Sheila was more than impressed with the six minutes it took the college to have all 300 delegates and staff in a shelter and safe from the threat of the storm.

Sheila also likes the fact that Boys State delegates earn three college credits to jump start their college careers by participating in the activities at Boys State and learning about their form of government.

Sheila also stated that she has always admired Checotah educator Lawrence Lane, who has always taken the time to hand out voters registration cards and draft papers to students turning 18 and she hopes someone will step up to continue his legacy now that he’s retired.

Sheila loves the fact that her sons still have friendships with other delegates that they met at Boys State years ago and that Oklahoma Boys State truly is a week that shapes a lifetime.