It was 1998.

With his junior year at Kingfi sher High School behind him, it was just another summer camp for Jared Harrison.

At first it was about the friends he made at that summer camp - American Legion Oklahoma Boys State.

Then he began to realize it was much more.

Soon it became his passion. Through the years, Harrison has become the embodiment of its slogan - “The week that shapes a lifetime.”

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Currently serving as Oklahoma Boys State chief operating officer, Harrison is responsible for the overall operational management of the program, ensuring it runs smoothly and efficiently.

He has previously served in varying capacities for over 15 years where he was awarded Boys State’s highest honor the “Josh Drake Follow Me” Award - and was recently selected to serve as deputy administrative director at Boys Nation.

Founded in 1935, American Legion Boys State and Boys Nation are highly-respected, hands-on programs where high school juniors learn about local, state and federal government by running mock governments and participating in civic activities.

Two participants from each Boys State are chosen to attend Boys Nation in Washington, D.C., where they take part in a weeklong deep dive into federal government by acting as U.S. senators.

Boys Nation includes mock legislative sessions, political party conventions and visits to national landmarks with many alumni going on to hold public office or work in politics.

As one of less than 35 individuals nationwide to serve on this year’s Boys Nation staff, Harrison said, “It is definitely a huge honor.”

In his role as deputy administrative director, Harrison is responsible for assisting with planning, preparation, operations, communication and any other needs for the event.

The 79th session of American Legion Boys Nation took place July 18-26 in the nation’s capital and Harrison and other staff members arrived a few days early to prepare for the delegates’ arrivals.

Delegates from each state, except Hawaii, plus two from Washington, D.C., participated in the weeklong event.

“We will get a chance to take the Boys State experience to the national level with 100 of the most exceptional junior boys from across the country,” Harrison told the KT&FP in an interview prior to leaving for Washington, D.C.

Harrison told of other activities planned for delegates: They will be acting as the Boys Nation Senate, working on legislation of national importance and by the end of the week they will have selected several officers, with the highest ranking being the president, he said.

“When they aren’t trying to debate and pass legislation, we will be taking the senators on tours of the National Mall, the White House, Capitol, Supreme Court, Fort McHenry and a behind the scenes tour of the Pentagon,” Harrison said.

They will also have a day to meet with their actual legislators on Capitol Hill and hopefully get a nighttime tour at the Capitol when no one else is around, he added.

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Like many of his peers, when Harrison graduated high school he went on to attend Oklahoma State University where he earned a bachelor’s in business administration/ general business, then ultimately earned his law degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 2006 and returned to Kingfisher where he is a practicing attorney with Harrison and Mecklenburg.

Primarily practicing law in real estate, oil and gas, estate planning and administration, business law and municipal law, Harrison also currently represents 18 cities and towns across the northwestern portion of the state including Kingfisher and Hennessey.

Harrison has also served as chairman of the Oklahoma Bar Association real property section, was a member of the board of trustees for the Kingfisher Chamber of Commerce and served as president of the Kingfisher Rotary Club, Kingfisher County Development Foundation and Kingfisher Educational Foundation.

He and his wife, Jessica, have two sons, Myles and Finley.

It was in college, Harrison said, he began to recognize the impact Boys State had on his life.

Reflecting on his passion for the American Legion programs, Harrison said, “Primarily, it probably started as a ‘thank you’ to Dr. (A.J.) Johnson for all of the help and guidance he provided to me through high school.

“I started when he was the Boys State assistant director and Judd Kopp was the director. From there, I stayed involved because I had made some great friends.

“Then all of a sudden, connections from Boys State helped me out in college and then it was one of the items on my resume that made Mike Sanders think it was worth giving me a shot as a White House intern.

“Now it has turned into some of my best friends and getting to see some really cool things like my sons in the actual Pentagon briefing room playing the Army hymn from the console in the sound booth, all because I went to a summer camp as a junior in high school.”

In addition to giving back to the American Legion as a thank you for creating the program which Harrison said has done so much him, there’s another reason for his dedication to its mission.

“We can all admit that there is so much divisiveness and hatefulness that we see in the world today and I think that if we don’t find a way to correct that and get back to the days where we can agree to disagree and not vilify everyone that we disagree with, our country will struggle in the future,” Harrison said.

“I’m very confident that programs like Boys State, Boys Nation, Girls State and Girls Nation are major keys to getting the next generation of leaders to realize that just repeating everything that they see on TV might not be the right way to do things.

“There has to be a better way.”

That doesn’t mean compromising their values and ideals, but they also don’t have to turn everyone that they disagree with into an enemy, he added.

“We’ve used the motto at Boys State the last few years - ‘What Unites Us Is Greater Than What Divides Us’ - and if I can be one small part in helping tomorrow’s leaders realize that, then the time and effort has been worth it.

“At this point in time, we are all counting on them.”

Discussing the upcoming Boys Nation, Harrison said, “I’m really looking forward to it and the opportunity to get to see these young men in action.”

Alumni of Boy Nation include President Bill Clinton, Justice Samuel Alito, countless federal and state political leaders, business leaders, news personalities, military leaders and many others, he added.

“The senators this year will be some of the next in line to fill those roles and many more,” Harrison said.

“I fully expect to be impressed and excited for the future that these kids will help create for our country.”