TSA’s Tomas Maldonado Elected as Governor of 2020 Boys State

TOMBALL - For his exhibited leadership and strong academic performance, Tomball Star Academy rising senior Tomas Maldonado recently participated in the 2020 Texas Boys State program and was elected to serve the highest honor as Governor.

The program, hosted by the American Legion, brings delegates from high schools across the state. Students participate in a mock government, and two delegates from each state are then sent to Boys Nation. Maldonado was also selected to represent Texas at Boys Nation.

“Every single facet of the program made Boys State a genuinely excellent learning experience, where I was encouraged to grow in previously unimaginable ways,” Maldonado said.

Along with being selected to this prestigious program, Maldonado also earned Boys State’s highest honor by being elected Governor for the 2020 Class out of over 700 participants across Texas.

“This position is the highest elected office of Texas Boys State and represents the program as its student leader. Ultimately, serving as Governor is about one thing, and one thing only: serving others. I did not want to pursue the governorship based on personal desire or "resume building”. I wanted to help make every boy statesman into the best version of themselves,” Maldonado said.

While Boys State turned online for this year’s program due to COVID-19, Maldonado made the most of his experience.

“While I've had some excellent government teachers, attending Texas Boys State gave me unparalleled insight into just how the government works. The work it took to win an elected office gave me a greater respect for what our elected leaders experience,” he said.

The opportunity to learn and grow provided Maldonado the experience to make a difference.

“Tomas is a driven young man who strives everyday to lead by example,” TSA Principal Kim McKinney said. “His hard work, dedication and perseverance was recognized by others as he was elected to be the 2020 Texas Boys State Governor! This is an impressive honor and I cannot think of a better individual to earn it.”

American Legion Boys State is among the most respected and selective educational programs of government instruction for U.S. high school students. The program provides a new appreciation for patriotism, offers new and lasting friendships with young men from across the state, creates a better understanding of how to build consensus through civil discourse and debate, provides knowledge of the two party political system, challenging participants to put that knowledge into action as well as encourages each participant to be a servant leader in their schools and communities.

“Texas Boys State was an experience that I will not soon forget. So often, we hear terms like leadership, service, and character in the abstract. At Texas Boys State these values became a reality to me as I helped lead some of America's future leaders,” Maldonado said.

Maldonado will return to Tomball ISD in 2020-2021 as a senior at Tomball Star Academy and represents the first graduating class of that campus. He is a National Merit Finalist and is also one of Dr. Salazar-Zamora’s Superintendent Student Ambassadors. 

ABOUT TOMBALL ISD
Tomball ISD educates students to become responsible, productive citizens by providing innovative, individually rigorous, and personally valuable educational experiences. Founded in 1908, Tomball ISD now encompasses 83 square miles in northwest Harris County and southwest Montgomery County, and is located approximately 30 miles from downtown Houston. The district currently educates over 18,000 students at 20 campuses.