Kriti Mehrotra
With Apple TV+’s Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss-directed ‘Girls State’ being the epitome of what democracy means to young girls across the US, we get a documentary unlike any other. After all, it follows a handful of teenage girls as they step into an immersive government-building experience, all the while also facing their fair share of moral or personal issues along the way. And amongst them is actually Nisha Murali — a rather academic, introverted, serious youngster, having not just concrete plans for the future but also a heart of gold and unwavering kindness.
Nisha Murali Had Big Aspirations for Girls State
With Nisha reportedly being a first-generation South Asian immigrant, the significance of compassion, education, money, power, as well as understanding has been ingrained in her from the get-go. It thus comes as no surprise that despite her being openly ambitious, she is also caring and empathic in every sense of the term, as evidenced in the original by her friendship with Brooke Taylor. “Girls Scout is very much in my comfort zone…,” she candidly said. “It’s talking, it’s politics, there’s a little bit of school involved. But social skills have never been something I’m confident in.”
Nevertheless, Nisha was determined to land a seat on the roster of Scout Supreme Court judges, so she went as far as to watch ‘Legally Blonde’ for the first time for motivation plus actually try being social. The latter is how she’d first come across the bubbly Brooke — she’d complimented the red, white, and blue beads in her hair, unaware it’d lead to an open conversation before a full-blown friendship. Little did the former know her new friend was also trying out for a spot in the highest judicial body, just for fate to then be so cruel they ended up being the ones having to face off against one another.
The final round here was a one-on-one interview, following which the counselor either had to select Nisha or Brooke for the job for good — they couldn’t do both or skip on judgment no matter what. In the end, the latter was deemed a better pick based on her social awareness as well as particular viewpoints on a few current events, yet the young teen only expressed pure happiness for her close friend. In fact, instead of mulling over her loss, she quickly decided to move forward by becoming a circuit judge — an action that truly enabled her to fulfill her original goal of driving change in others’ lives.
Nisha Murli is at Texas A&M University
Once everything was said and done at Girls State in 2022, Nisha actually returned to her hometown of Chesterfield, Missouri, where she carefully began exploring all college options available to her. However, she seemingly didn’t focus on academics alone because this experiment had finally helped her realize she could have fun and be social too; she wasn’t restricted in any way, shape, or form. So today, at the age of 18, this Parkway Central High School graduate is enrolled at the public research Texas A&M University in College Station, where she’s studying both engineering plus philosophy with the help of the President’s scholarship.
Nisha, who hopes to become a lawyer one day, has since come forward to reflect that Girls State helped her realize it is truly exhausting for one to present an image to the world and then be rejected for it. Yet many female leaders have not only faced this in the past but continue to do so even today. Moreover, she has apparently also learned that being politically as well as civically engaged with the government can look different to different people, but it all matters in the long run, which is why she’s happy with the path she’s on.
Read More: Faith Glasgow: Where is the Girls State Attendee Now?
