LONGVIEW, Texas (KETK) – A Longview teen’s hard work is paying off, leading her to Washington.

Ashly James is one of two girls from Texas heading to Washington D.C. to take part in Girls Nation, a mock-government program.

Girls Nation is an annual civic training program run by the American Legion Auxiliary.

It’s a hands-on election simulation event where high school girls run for office and are elected by their peers.

Ashly is a senior at Pine Tree High School in Longview.

Along with Girls Nation, she’s been taking part in the Girls State program, a mock-government event just for Texas.

Because of her work in that program, and the fact she’s on the debate team, the swim team, and the mock trial team, Ashly was selected out of 600 other girls in the state to be a Girls Nation senator in Washington DC.

She and other girls will run for office, elect a president, and even work to pass legislation.

“The other girl from Texas who is going with me, we’ve been able to draft a bill. We had no limits based on what we could draft it on. We could write it about anything we wanted and so we are writing it on the department of veterans affairs. We are hoping to reform it in our bill, figure out where the budget is going, what’s getting too much spending and what’s not getting enough,” Ashly said.

When she graduates from high school, Ashly wants to go to law school and study criminal law or business law. Maybe even one day become a judge.