By MATTHEW COOPER

Guest speaker Colin Schmitt spoke at Boys’ State on Monday, June 29th, 2026. The 2007 Boys’ State graduate shared his story of being chosen as a road guard on his first day at Boys’ State, a position responsible for ensuring the safety of citizens while marching across roads.

Schmitt came to Boys’ State with much different intentions. He planned to become involved in politics right away. However, that was not the case. It took time for Schmitt to be elected to the position he wanted. During that time, his fellow citizens saw how dependable he was as a road guard, and they began to support him and his campaign for a political position at Boys’ State.

Schmitt was one of only two citizens selected from New York Boys’ State to attend Boys’ Nation, a highly selective extension of the Boys’ State program. Later in life, Schmitt became a politician and served in the New York State Assembly. He recognizes that the “week that shapes a lifetime” at Boys’ State is a huge part of his journey and has spoken to the citizens of Boys’ State 18 times in the past 19 years.

In Schmitt’s real-life political career, the idea of “Orange Vest to Success” became a reality. After graduating from The Catholic University of America in 2012, Colin Schmitt began his career working in New York State politics, including staff roles for Assemblywoman Ann Rabbitt and State Senator Greg Ball. He later served as chief of staff for the town of New Windsor, building experience in local government. In 2018, he was elected to the New York State Assembly, where he served until 2022.

After narrowly losing the 2022 congressional election, similar to how he was not initially given a political role at Boys’ State, Schmitt did not give up. Instead, he persevered through the hardship and continued working toward his goals. In 2023, Schmitt was appointed Director of Finance for the Town of Clarkstown where he still works today.

Schmitt said this idea applies to everyone’s life. Failure is inevitable, but it should not be seen as a reason to quit. Instead, it is a reason to keep trying and continue working toward success.