The Georgia Department of Education has named the students who will represent the state in the 2024 United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). The delegates are Jackson Bost from Madison County High School and Viveka Mehrotra from North Oconee High School. The alternates are Miranda Johnson from Harrison High School and Luke Netto from Milton High School. State School Superintendent Richard Woods commended the students and expressed confidence in their representation of Georgia.
The USSYP is a yearly program that invites top students from across the U.S. for a week of intensive study in Washington, D.C. They attend meetings with key political figures and learn about the federal government. The program's goal is to enhance students' understanding of politics and encourage public service.
The Georgia students will join 104 others and each will receive a $10,000 college scholarship. The USSYP, established in 1962, is funded by The Hearst Foundations. All student delegates are in the top one percent of their state’s high school juniors and seniors academically.
Jackson Bost, a senior at Madison County High School, is the National Honor Society president and is involved in service projects including Operation Christmas Child. He also organized a Mental Health Awareness Walk.
Viveka Mehrotra, a senior at North Oconee High School, serves on the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council. She is active in politics and student civic organizations, and has a keen interest in technology. She won the 2022-23 Congressional App Challenge for Georgia’s 10th Congressional District and received a Youth Citizenship Medal earlier this year.