Grant Laufer
Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake recently announced the name of a Mesa student who has been selected as one of two Arizona delegates to the 53rd annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP), to be held from March 7 through 14, in Washington, D.C.
Grant Laufer, of Mesa, was chosen from across the state to be part of the group of 104 student delegates who will attend the program’s Washington Week.
Originally proposed by Senators Kuchel, Mansfield, Dirksen and Humphrey, 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 decision making not only for America but for people around the world.”
Each year, this extremely competitive merit-based program brings 104 of the most outstanding high school students—two from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity—to Washington, D.C., for an intensive week-long study of the federal government and the people who lead it.
Grant, a senior at Mountain View High School, serves as an elected member of the Mesa Mayor’s Youth Committee. He takes great pride in serving as a leader and role model in his school, his community and abroad. In the summer of 2013, he was selected as a Youth Scholar for Turkish as part of the National Security Language Initiative. He also serves as president of his school’s Model United Nations team, vice chairman of the school’s conservative club and treasurer of its math club. He is undecided on which college to attend, but is certain to pursue a career in foreign policy or business.
In addition to outstanding leadership abilities and a strong commitment to volunteer work, the student delegates generally rank academically in the top 1 percent of their states among high school juniors and seniors. Today, more than 5,000 strong, alumni of the program continue to excel and develop impressive qualities, which often are directed toward public service.
For general information about the United States Senate Youth Program, please contact Program Director Rayne Guilford, at (800) 425-3632, or send an email to rguilford@hearstfdn.org. You also can visit the website at www.ussenateyouth.org.