Official Site of The State of New Jersey

Student candidates must:

• Meet the eligibility requirements.
• Be the school's sole nominee and obtain the principal's signature on the Statement of Assurance.
• Submit the completed and signed Principal’s Statement of Assurance by uploading the document to the USSYP Principal’s Statement of Assurance Submission Form by September 30th, 2024. Once reviewed, nominees will receive the USSYP Student Application link via email no later than October 2, 2024.
• Complete the USSYP Student Application by October 14, 2024. The use of artificial intelligence is not permitted in the development or creation of any parts of the application. Students are encouraged to prepare the following elements before receiving and starting the online application. All elements must be submitted at the same time. There is no save option on the application! Please do not start multiple applications.
• Official or unofficial Transcript and School Profile.
• 500-word personal essay (double-spaced, Times New Roman size 12 font with half-inch margins) describing:
• Leadership experiences in a student government, civic, or educational organization(s);
• Involvement in community, civic engagement, and/or public service activities;
• Ways in which your passions, motivation, and/or creativity contribute to your school or community;
• Interest in and desire to learn more about United States’ government, history, and political processes.
• 500-word persuasive essay (double-spaced, Times New Roman size 12 font with half-inch margins):
• Select a topic important to you, take a stand, relate its importance to you, and defend your position. The essay will be judged on organization, ideas and content, evidence of personalization, and writing conventions, including citation of sources.
• Video essay (no more than 3 minutes, shared via private video hyperlink)
• Please submit a video presentation on the following:
• Imagine that you are a newly elected Senator from New Jersey. Describe who you are and why you are proud to represent New Jersey. Tell us the personal characteristics you feel will make you an effective leader in Washington. Note what legislative initiatives you will champion and why they are important.
• One-page resume (Times New Roman size 12 font with half-inch margins) demonstrating academic and leadership experience, service, accomplishments, and interests. Successful resumes should be formatted for clarity and readability. Students are encouraged to research examples of how to format a professional resume. Be sure to include the following:
• Awards and recognitions;
• Activities and clubs, including length of involvement;
• Volunteer/work experiences, including length of involvement;
• Special skills and talents;
• Brief bulleted descriptions of leadership roles and accomplishments.
• Press paragraph describing student's other leadership positions (not used to qualify for USSYP), academic honors, community service, school and extracurricular activities, and future college and career plans. Paragraph should use third person and be no longer than 600 characters (may be used for media purposes).
• Two recommendation letters. Recommendation letters should be from an adult, not related to the applicant, who has direct knowledge of the applicant's leadership experience and community service activities.
• At least one recommendation letter must be from the school advisor to the club or organization that qualified the applicant to apply; for example, student council advisor.
• The second recommendation should be from a school or district administrator, teacher, supervisor from volunteer/community service organization, or other adult who has worked with the applicant in a leadership capacity.
• Letters should be on letterhead with recommender’s name, title, and signature. Information about student's specific abilities, qualities, and accomplishments and evidence of leadership and motivation should be included in the recommendation letter. Recommendation letters may be emailed directly to USSYP@doe.nj.gov no later than October 14^th, 2024, if the recommender prefers. 

Additional Information

• Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. on October 14, 2024.
• If any of the components or information is missing from the final application, the application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.
• If a high school submits more than one nomination, neither nomination will be considered.
• Time constraints will not allow for the return of applications for correction or completion.

The candidate must be:

• A legal permanent resident or citizen of the United States at the time of application.
• A resident of New Jersey throughout the 2024-2025 academic year.
• Currently enrolled in the 11th or 12th grade in a public or nonpublic high school in New Jersey through Spring 2025.
• Currently serving (throughout the entire 2024-2025 academic year) in an elected or appointed capacity in a student government, civic or educational organization, such as:
• Student body president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer;
• Class president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer;
• Student council representative, or;
• Student representative to an elected or appointed district, regional, or state-level civic or educational organization (e.g., elected officer of National Honor Society, Key Club, Interact, appointed student representative to Board of Education).

• Able to attend the entire 2025 Washington Week, March 1–8, 2025.
• Willing to sign a Code of Conduct to participate in Washington Week.

(Please note that students selected as delegates to the program in past years are not eligible to participate in this year's program.)

Criteria for Selection

The Hearst Foundations seek candidates that show:

• Outstanding leadership ability;
• High scholastic standing;
• Effective communication skills;
• Interest in America's political processes; and
• Strong commitment to community involvement, civic engagement, and public service.

What is the United States Senate Youth Program?

The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) brings the highest-level officials from each branch of government together with an outstanding group of high school students — two high school juniors or seniors from each of the fifty states, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) — during an intensive week-long educational program called Washington Week. Each student also receives a one-time $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship with encouragement to pursue coursework in history and political science. The William Randolph Hearst Foundations provides the funding for this program. The New Jersey Department of Education is responsible for selecting two juniors or seniors based on the criteria established by the Hearst Foundations.

How do I apply to be a USSYP delegate?

Students cannot apply directly for the USSYP. Every principal of a public/non-public high school in New Jersey is invited to nominate one junior or senior by completing the Principal's Statement of Assurance. Nominated students must be a high school junior or senior serving in an elected or selected capacity in a student government, civic, or educational organization* during Washington Week. Nominated students must meet the eligibility requirements and complete the USSYP Student Application link by the due date.

*Please see the national United States Senate Youth Program website for information regarding eligibility requirements.

If a district has more than one high school, can one student from each high school be nominated?

Yes. The principal of every public/non-public high school may nominate one junior or senior to complete the application to become one of New Jersey's two representatives.

If more than one application comes from the same school, then both applications will be disqualified.

If I am nominated by my school principal and submit an application as a junior but am not named a delegate, can I apply when I am a senior?

Yes. A person may be selected to be their school's nominee if the individual is a senior and was not selected to be a delegate the previous year.

How will I know if I am selected to be a USSYP delegate or alternate?

The students who are selected to be New Jersey's delegates and alternates to the USSYP will be notified via email by January. All other students will receive an email at the same time advising them that they were not selected.

What should I do if I have additional questions?

If you have any questions regarding the USSYP, please contact Ashley Woolsey-Greene by e-mail at USSYP@doe.nj.gov.

2023-2024 Winners

Delegates:

• Anika Dugal, an Old Bridge High School senior, serves as the National March of Dimes Director of Future Business Leaders of America, leading 260,000-plus students. She is President of Old Bridge Youth & Government, one of 10 students appointed to the Democratic Party's Youth Gun Violence Prevention Taskforce, and founder of Students Demand Action Old Bridge, receiving the Frederick Douglass & Susan B. Anthony Award. Dugal also serves alongside Harvard Law students on Vote16USA's Advisory Board, leading efforts to expand the vote to 16-year-olds and is an intern for U.S. Representative Coleman.
• Grace Yoon is the founder of her school’s Speech Team, captain of the Mock Trial Team, and president of the Writing Club. She is a marketing intern for the Cherry Hill Public Library, and, nationally, she serves on Youth Leadership in Activism with Amnesty International USA, managing the youth social media. She was a NJ Girls State delegate, Youth in Policy Fellow, NJ representative at the Henry Clay High School Student Congress, and placed 3rd at DECA International Career Development Conference. In the future, she hopes to study public policy and government on a pre-law track.

Alternates:

• Rubina Singh, Union County Magnet High School
• Jacob Kugelmass, Montclair High School

2022-2023 Winners

Delegates:

• Serena Lee, a Montclair High School senior, is President of the Student Council. She is Co-President and founder of the Montclair Menstrual Club, serves on the Montclair Civil Rights Commission, and Montclair Public Schools’ District Equity Team as a student representative. Lee is also Media/Communications Co-Chair for AAPI Montclair and Vice-Chairperson on the Montclair Public Library’s Teen Advisory Board. She's Captain of the Montclair Robotics Team and President of the Asian Student Union. Through her work above, and beyond, Lee is a seasoned organizer and volunteer. In college, Lee hopes to study organizational behavior, international relations, Asian American studies, and management.
• Anjali Krishnamurti is a senior who wants to pursue a career in policymaking. She founded Vote16NJ, which takes action to expand the vote to 16-year-olds in local elections. Anjali has led the text-banking program as an intern for Governor Murphy’s 2021 campaign and is President of her school’s Youth & Government and Mock Trial clubs. She was elected to attend Girls Nation, representing NJ as a mock senator in Washington, D.C. When she is not participating in politics, Anjali runs a non-profit called Metamorphic Mentoring, which provides free mentoring services to kids in her community.

Alternates:

• Crystal Ordonez, Villa Victoria Academy
• Hansa Suresh, Northern Highlands Regional High School

2021-2022 Winners

Delegates:

• Lily Cheatham, a senior at Haddonfield Memorial High School, serves as the president of the Senior Class. She is also president of her school’s Model UN team and gun violence prevention club, and has won the Widener Leadership award and the Princeton Prize in Race Relations for her work in Student Council. In addition to these leadership positions, she is the historian of the National Honor Society chapter at her school, and a member of the National French Honor Society and National Art Honor Society. In the future, Lily hopes to study international relations with a concentration in human rights issues in college.
• Rachel Gurevich, a senior at East Brunswick High School, serves as the chairperson of the New Jersey High School Democrats. She is the former chair of the national Jewish Caucus of the High School Democrats of America, the secretary general of her school’s Model UN team, and founder and co-group leader of Students Demand Action East Brunswick, which focuses on gun violence prevention, policy change, and mutual aid. She has served as a campaign fellow for Senator Cory Booker and Governor- Phil Murphy, and as an advisor for her mayor and councilman’s re-election campaigns. Rachel led Youth for Murphy, the youth wing of Governor Phil Murphy’s successful re-election effort. She also serves as an Editorial Board member for the national publication, Fresh Ink for Teens.

Alternates:

• Eli Weinger, Saddle River Day School
• Kritika Nagappa. South Brunswick High School

2020-2021 Winners

Delegates:

• Siddharth Satish, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North
• Ashley Hernandez, Clifton High School

Alternates:

• Jenna Smith, Kent Place Schools
• Laurence Fine, Ridgewood High School