Ford hosts annual Girls’ Day at the Mississippi Capitol

Madison’s state Rep. Jill Ford held her annual Girls’ Day at the Capitol recently where she invited young ladies from Madison County to learn more about government and the legislative process. 

“Girls’ Day is something I look forward to every year,” Ford said. “It’s great to be able to show the young women of Madison County how our government works and to see the looks of awe on their little faces when the walk through the halls of the Capitol.”

Six-year-old Aliza Hurst said she had such a great time at the event and looks forward to going to the next one. 

“My favorite part was when we got to learn about the Capitol and all the different things that people used to build it,” she said. “It felt cool to touch the marble and the bumpy stained glass.”

She then enthusiastically said, “Did you know that the eagle on top of the dome is made of copper and painted with real gold?”

Newly-crowned Miss Mississippi Becky Williams, Miss Mississippi Teen Brooke Bumgarner of Madison, and State Sen. Jenifer Branning of Philadelphia were the special guest speakers for the event. 

“Girls’ Day was such a perfect way to remind young Mississippi girls that we can do it all,” Bumgarner said. “We can be leaders, educators, politicians, doctors, lawyers, and anything we set our minds to. From spending time touring the State Capitol to chatting about ways to build our confidence, Girls’ Day is shaping Mississippi’s future, and we’re in great hands.”

That’s something that resonated with Hurst. 

“Miss Teen Mississippi told us that we can be anything we wanted to be,” she said. 

Branning, running for a seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court this November, praised Ford for the yearly event. 

“It is vitally important that we engage and equip the next generation of leaders and Rep. Jill Ford’s Girls’ Day is designed to do just that,” she said. 

Ford said her passion is to “build a desire in these young ladies to one day serve their state by running for public office.”