Applications are now open for the 2025-2026 United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP), a merit-based program that takes the most outstanding high school students from around the country to Washington, D.C., for a week-long study of the federal government and the people who lead it.
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) oversees the selection process of two students to be part of the national 104-student USSYP delegation.
Ariel Fader, a senior at Ryle High School (Boone County), and Minhal Nazeer, a senior at Kentucky Country Day School (Jefferson County), were selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be part of the national 104-student delegation of the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). Fader and Nazeer also will each receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study from The Hearst Foundations.
The U.S. Senate Youth Program has truly been one of the most, if not the most, amazing experiences of my life. I can already begin to see its effect in propelling me toward my dreams.
The U.S. Senate Youth Program’s activities were the equivalent of a kid wandering into a candy shop. There were many landmarks to see, distinguished speakers to listen to and inspiring peers to bond with.
