WASHINGTON, D.C. - Alton High School senior Abbie Hasty recently paid both Illinois Rep. Mike Bost and Illinois Senator Dick Durbin in Washington, D.C., a visit to discuss her work with the American Battlefield Trust. She is an extraordinary student and has a love of history and is currently involved in a project about the Alton Prison.
“I was one of fourteen students chosen in the United States to serve on The American Battlefield Trust’s Youth Leadership Team,” Abbie said. “Recently, I met with Representative Mike Bost and discussed why battlefield preservation is important to me. I also met with Dick Durbin’s staff on Wednesday morning. Both Rep. Bost and Sen. Durbin conveyed their support for ABPP. The YLT team completed over 40 Hill meetings combined.”
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Abbie said she has deep concerns about historic preservation.
“We all have a history around us,” she said. “History shouldn’t just live in books, we should actively seek it out in order to protect the very elements that connect us to our past. It is more important now than ever that America’s young people work to preserve the “outdoor classrooms” that make up our country. The American Battlefield Trust works to preserve America’s most hallowed grounds by combining donations from the public and utilizing a $20 million dollar government grant program.
“I spent two days lobbying my elected officials for their support of this grant program, The American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP). ABT’s Youth Leadership Team has been a key experience for me in the world of government and politics. In the United States today, only 36 percent of judges are female. In my opinion, government systems cannot effectively accomplish their objectives when they do not resemble the population they serve. That is what I seek to change.”
Rep. Bost said the following: “Alton High School senior Abbie Hasty stopped by my office to discuss her work with American Battlefield Trust, an organization working to preserve our nation’s historic battlegrounds and share that history with the public. Abbie is currently working on a project about the Alton Prison. It was great speaking with her about the history of Southern Illinois!”
Abbie said she sees herself in a career in government as a challenging yet meaningful endeavor that she hopes to explore throughout her life.
“I hope to obtain my undergraduate degree in Political Science and then attend Law School with the ultimate goal of becoming a judge,” she said.
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