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Idaho delegates to U.S. Senate Youth Program describe program, urge attention to career pathways and CTE
Summary
Two Idaho high school students selected as delegates to the U.S. Senate Youth Program introduced themselves to the Idaho Senate Education Committee; alternates and additional students described how teacher support and career-and-technical-education affected their paths and offered suggestions for state policy.
Two student delegates chosen to represent Idaho at the annual U.S. Senate Youth Program briefed the Idaho Senate Education Committee and described what the trip and the selection process means for their civic and academic plans.
Adelie Elam, a senior from Fruitland High School, and Jenny Hammond, a senior from Emmett High School, will attend the weeklong program in Washington, D.C., later this week. The students — identified by the State Department of Education as Idaho’s chosen delegates — will meet federal officials and receive a $10,000 college scholarship as part of the program.
"I am super excited to be able to meet with both cabinet members and Supreme Court justices, hopefully the president and other members in our U.S. government," Adelie Elam told the committee. "But I'm even more excited to meet with delegates from around the country that are just as passionate about making a difference in our government as I am." Hammond said the application process and interviews have already given her skills useful for college and scholarships: "I'm walking away with far more than a scholarship. The interviews and the essays and this entire program has taught me skills that I know and I have already seen will help me in the next bit of my life after graduation."
Alternates introduced themselves and described post‑graduation plans. Nicholas (Nick) Mendez, an alternate from Caldwell High School, said he will attend Stanford University and planned to double‑major in Earth and Planetary Science and International Relations. Mason Gibbons, an alternate from Eagle who attends Waihi High School and said he will enter the U.S. Naval Academy to study nuclear engineering, described participating in the finalist process for a second year.
Committee members invited the students to offer views on improving Idaho public education. Nick Mendez recommended stronger teacher support and more emphasis on career-and-technical-education (CTE): "Having the care of the teacher ... is a big part of it" and CTE programs let students pursue skilled trades. Frances Camille, a student from Wood River High School, suggested changes to extracurricular and student‑leadership structures so that positions better represent students who must balance work and family obligations.
The committee thanked the students and said their arrival concluded the presentation portion of the meeting.
