United States Senate Youth Program

In 1962, the United States Senate voted unanimously to endorse a nationwide youth program to bring high school students to Washington, DC for a brief introduction to the functions of the federal government. The program was created and authorized by Senate Resolution 234 and has been reauthorized ever since. The original resolution specified that the program be "supported by private funds with no expense to the federal government". As a result, The Hearst Foundations assumed financial support of the program and continues its sponsorship today.

The annual United States Senate Youth Program authorizes the selection of 104 student delegates, two from each state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Office of Dependents Schools. The delegates are immersed in Washington activities throughout their week-long stay. Their stops include visits to the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, and the Pentagon. Delegates hear major addresses by senators, cabinet members, officials of the Department of State and the Department of Defense, as well as other federal departments.

Each year, the Hearst Foundations pay all expenses for the week-long Washington stay, including transportation, hotel accommodations, and meals. Members of all branches of the US military chaperone the students for the week. Each delegate is awarded a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate studies.

The 63rd Annual Washington Week will be March 1-8, 2025. 

Basic Qualifications

The student must:

  • be serving in an elected or appointed position representing a constituency during the entire 2024-2025 school year;
  • be a junior or senior attending high school in Texas during the 2024-2025 school year;
  • be interested in and participating in leadership, public service and government related activities;
  • be able to attend the entire 2025 Washington Week in March 2025; and
  • have US citizenship or legal permanent residence status on application date.

Additional information and program rules:

Texas Application Process

Please contact your high school principal to determine if you will be the sole choice to represent your school as the candidate for the US Senate Youth Program (USSYP). The principal's signature is a requirement on the application, so communicating with your school officials should be your first step.

As part of that discussion, you and your principal (or counselor or Student Council Advisor) will review the details of your leadership roles in relationship to the eligibility requirements set forth in the 2025 USSYP Brochure (PDF).

2025 Applications will be available late August 2024. 

United States Senate Youth Program Texas Delegates

Photo of Samantha Mujica, 2024 US Senate Youth Delegate from Lytle High School

2024 Delegate

Photo of Colin Shen, 2024 US Senate Youth Delegate from Clear Lake High School

2024 Delegate

John Thomas Borowitz, Texas High School

2023 Delegate

Sonya Kulkarni, Bellaire High School

2023 Delegate

School Year Delegates Alternates
2023-2024 Samantha Mujica, Lytle ISD
Colin Shen, Clear Creek ISD
Emma Corbell, Frisco ISD
Madelyn White, Brazosport ISD
2022-2023 John Thomas Borowitz, II, Texarkana ISD
Sonya Kulkarni, Houston ISD
Jonah Espinoza, Northside ISD
Kaitlyn Hou, Plano ISD
2021-2022 Krupali Kumar, Round Rock ISD
Trevor Dalton Tobey, Midlothian ISD
Kendall Carll, Lovejoy ISD
Thomas Davies, Frisco ISD
2020-2021 Sara Beth Beasley, Medina Valley ISD
Xuechen Yin, Westlake ISD
Shania Diane Hurtado, Klein ISD
Derek Whitman, Ysleta ISD
2019-2020 Kendyll Locke, Crowley ISD
Jenna Williamson, Texarkana ISD
Anna Alves, Clear Creek ISD
Maggi Gallaspy, Hardin-Jefferson ISD
2018-2019 Jarret Carnes, Whitehouse ISD
Ema Waring, Azle ISD
Jonah Riojas, McAllen ISD
Jacob Reese, Canton ISD
2017-2018 Kendall Haase, Bastrop ISD
James Williamson, Texarkana ISD
Marina Hernandez, Granbury ISD
Kwame Ambaah, Northwest ISD
2016-2017 Ricky Cooks Jr, Texarkana ISD
Amina Mabizari, Alief ISD
Rebecca Brady, Bastrop ISD
Aurelio Angel, Teague ISD
2015-2016 Cesia Flores, South Texas ISD
Corina Lobo, San Antonio ISD
James Schmidt, Arlington ISD
Maheen Khizar, South Texas ISD
2014-2015 Jocelyn Hernandez-Vasquez, North East ISD
Vance Vaughan, Fort Bend ISD
Pauline Lota, Lubbock ISD
Cade Palmer, White Oak ISD
2013-2014 Sachin Gupta, Northwest ISD
Sarah Lanford, Spring Branch ISD
Lisa Michaels, Plano ISD
William Wu, Clear Creek ISD
2012-2013 Pooja M. Patel, Midland ISD
John Getz, Lubbock-Cooper ISD
Sachin Gupta, Northwest ISD
William Wu, Clear Creek ISD
2011-2012 Hayden Greer, Hardin Jefferson ISD
Hailey Stevenson, Leander ISD
Santiago Garcia, Fort Bend ISD
Amy Cindy Chyao, Plano ISD
2010-2011 Braydon Jones, Texarkana ISD
Joyce Kim, Allen ISD
Lillian Simon, Humble ISD
Rhonda Hooper, Lindale ISD
2009-2010 William Ashford Hayes, Denton ISD
Jenny My Le, Clear Creek ISD
Chandler Nunez, Sinton ISD
Joyce Kim, Allen ISD

 

 

Content Updated 3/11/2024

 

Contact Information

Texas Association of Secondary School Principals
donna@tassp.org

Texas Education Agency
College, Career, and Military Preparation

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