Wareham High School will send eight students to leadership camps this summer, each of whom has earned the opportunity through their high school work and student leadership involvement. 

Ethan Potito and Payton Calvin will attend Boys State and Lain Potter and Charlotte Roy will attend Girls State; all four students are juniors. Boys State and Girls State are programs from the American Legion that gather students from across Massachusetts to establish their own practice municipalities for the purpose of learning about government. 

“I just thought it was really interesting,” said Potter. She said she is fascinated by government and wanted to try something new and out of her comfort zone. 

Potito said he wanted to do the program in part to set himself up for college, though he said he is somewhat nervous about attending the program and talking to a bunch of strangers. 

Roy looked to the future as well in joining the program — she said she is not really sure what she wants to do post graduation but is interested in working in government. 

In addition to the students going off to build their own governments, three sophomore students have been chosen to attend the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar, Maria Vilas Boas, Kailee Rose and Johnny Tompkins. Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership works to provide personal growth and inspire connection in future leaders. 

Freshman Lexi Randolph rounds out the summer’s student leaders and will attend the Sea, Science and Leadership Program at Mass Maritime. 

Randolph has been to Mass Maritime several times and thought there was a lot of good opportunity there — a lot of places look to the school for its graduates, she said. “I know it’s going to be a lot of fun. 

“We couldn’t be more proud of all of them,” said teacher and JROTC instructor Matt Stanton. 

Stanton said the students went through a comprehensive process of selection, with teachers conducting interviews and looking for students who are the school’s top student leaders.