Miss. Students Selected for Senate Youth Program Seniors Emily Adcock and Vaibhavi Mahajan joined Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith in representing Mississippi during the 60th annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) Washington Week March 6-9. Adcock, of Madison, and Mahajan, of Brandon, were selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be part of a 104-student delegation and will each receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the 2022 program was held online through a comprehensive and highly interactive virtual education and leadership forum. The USSYP was created in 1962 and has been sponsored by the Senate and fully funded by the Hearst Foundations since inception. The impetus for the program as stated in Senate testimony is “to increase young Americans’ understanding of the interrelationships of the three branches of government, learn the caliber and responsibilities of federally elected and appointed officials and emphasize the vital importance of democratic decisionmaking not only for America, but also for people around the world.” Each year this extremely competitive merit-based program provides the most outstanding high school students — two from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity — with an intensive week-long study of the federal government and the people who lead it. The overall mission of the program is to help instill each class of USSYP student delegates with more profound knowledge of the American political process and a lifelong commitment to public service. In addition to the program week, the Hearst Foundations provide each student with a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship with encouragement to continue coursework in government, School Focus
history and public affairs. All expenses for Washington Week are also provided by the Hearst Foundations.
and was chosen as one of the
Adcock, who attends Madison Central High School (MCHS), serves as the secretary of the Beta Club. She is a National Merit semifinalist, the color guard Adcock captain for the marching band and a delegate for the Mississippi Youth Legislature. An alumna of the Hugh O’Brian World Leadership Congress, she also sits on Madison’s Youth Council. At MCHS, she is president of the Jag Buddies Club and a member of the National Honor Curry Society, Women’s Empowerment Club, Advocates for Change and the symphonic band. Her community service consists of projects through her church, Beta Club, National Honor Society and Jag Buddies. She plans to major in public health with minors in English and public policy, ultimately hoping to study law Mahajan and craft health care policy.
international
Mahajan, who attends Northwest Rankin High School (NWRHS), has served as class copresident all four years in student government. Additionally, she serves as president of Beta Club, National English Honor Society and Model U.N. She is vice Zhang president of the National Honor Society and DECA, an organization focused on entrepreneurship, and serves in many other organizations in school. She is a Mississippi Children’s Museum volunteer and established a free student-led ACT workshop for her school. She is a National Merit semifinalist and has been designated an Amazing Teen by the Jackson Free Press. This past summer she was elected secretary of state at Magnolia Girls State
principals. The chief state school
12
two Mississippi senators to Girls Nation. Mahajan plans to attend Georgetown University to study affairs,
which
will prepare her to serve as an ambassador for the U.S., and one day secretary of state. Amy of
Zhang,
Starkville
a
resident
who
attends
Mississippi
School
Mathematics
and
for Science,
and Albert Curry, a resident of Brandon who attends NWRHS, were chosen as alternates for the 2022 program. Zhang is also the current senior student representative to the Mississippi State Board of Education. Delegates are
and
selected
departments
by of
alternates the
state
education
nationwide and the District of Columbia and Department of Defense Education Activity, after nomination by teachers and officer
for
each
jurisdiction
confirms the final selection. This year’s Mississippi delegates and alternates were designated by Dr. Carey Wright, the state superintendent of education. During the program week, the student delegates attend online meetings and briefings with senators, the president, a justice of the Supreme Court and leaders of cabinet agencies, among others. In addition
to
outstanding
leadership
abilities and a strong commitment to volunteer work, the student delegates rank academically in the top 1% of their states among high school juniors and seniors. Spring 2022
