WASHINGTON, D.C. — Larned High School senior Erin Tims has been selected to represent Kansas at the 63rd annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) in Washington, D.C., this March. Erin will join other top student leaders from across the nation for an incredible week of learning and leadership, plus she’ll receive a $10,000 scholarship.
Tims and Mill Valley High School senior Sophia Hsu were selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be part of the 104 national student delegation that will attend meetings and briefings with senators, the president, a justice of the Supreme Court, leaders of cabinet agencies, and other officials throughout the week of March 1-8.
Each delegate will also receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study. They’ll be encouraged to continue coursework in government, history and public affairs.
The students will join Senator Jerry Moran and Senator Roger Marshall for the event. The USSYP was founded in 1962 by the sons of William Randolph Hearst and the senate leadership of the day, Senators Kuchel, Mansfield, Dirksen and Humphrey, in response to the deep divisiveness and national anxiety following the McCarthy era. They outlined a plan to encourage America’s most talented young people to consider public service as an important, life-long, and noble pursuit, sponsoring Senate Resolution 324, which passed unanimously. As stated in founding testimony, the program strives “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 provides two outstanding high school students from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity with a scholarship and an intensive week-long study of the federal government and the people who lead it. The Hearst Foundations have fully funded the program since inception; as stipulated, no government funds are utilized. (United State Senate Resolution 324)
Erin Tims
Erin Tims, a senior at Larned High School, serves as president of the Student Council. In this role, she organizes activities including the back-to-school bash, pep rallies, spirit days throughout the year, and trick or treating to collect canned food for the local food pantry. Additionally, as National Honor Society (NHS) president, she organizes the induction ceremony for newly inducted members and leads discussions to make NHS a more active organization within her community. She is a frequent volunteer at the local thrift shop and has served as a volunteer at the Lions Club Christmas Baskets project. She has represented Larned High School at the state tournaments for golf, debate, and forensics, and was a state medalist in golf. Over the summer, Erin attended Sunflower Girls State, where she was elected as a Supreme Court justice. She was also elected to represent the state of Kansas at Girls Nation in Washington, D.C. While there, she was elected as minority party whip and gained knowledge about the role of the federal government. Erin plans to study political science or criminal justice in college, obtain a law degree and pursue a legal career.
Sophia Hsu
Sophia Hsu, a senior at Mill Valley High School, serves as the president of her National Art Honor Society. In this role, she designed her sculpture “The Flight of Florescence,” earned its $20,000 approval from the city of Shawnee, and worked with her STEM peers over three years to construct it. The sculpture has catalyzed involvement with the entire community and has become a flagship symbol of youth engagement. She is also the president of bands, varsity debate captain, Model UN vice president, and engages in her National Honor Society and National Spanish Honor Society. Sophia received her school’s first perfect score in State clarinet solo competition and made the district band in 2024. She has competed at the National Speech and Debate Tournament twice in Public Forum Debate and placed 3rd in state for International Extemporaneous Speaking. She has earned 60 hours of community service volunteering at the local library, mentoring middle school clarinets, and as an election poll worker. Finally, she has helped her Relay for Life team raise over $3,000 for cancer research, contributing to her school wide fundraiser of more than $600,000 for the American Cancer Society. Sophia hopes to major in political science in college, and perhaps work for the Congressional Research Service.
In addition to outstanding leadership abilities and a strong commitment to volunteer work, the student delegates rank academically in the top one percent of their states among high school juniors and seniors. Now more than 6,200 strong, alumni of the program continue to excel and develop impressive qualities that are often directed toward public service. Among the many distinguished alumni are: Senator Susan Collins, the first alumnus to be elected U.S. senator; Secretary of Transportation and former Mayor of South Bend Indiana, Pete Buttigieg, the first alumnus to be appointed as a cabinet secretary; Representative Sarah McBride, the second alumnus to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives; former Senator Cory Gardner, the second alumnus to be elected U.S. senator and the first to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the first alumnus to be elected governor.
Members of the U.S. Senate Youth Program 2025 annual Senate Advisory Committee are: Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, the 2025 USSYP Republican Co-Chair and Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the 2025 USSYP Democratic Co-Chair. The full USSYP Senate Advisory Committee includes the vice president of the United States and the Senate majority and minority leaders, and four senators from each party who lend their names in support. Serving on the 2025 Advisory Committee: Senator Susan M. Collins of Maine, Senator John Cornyn of Texas, Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas, Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota and Senator Peter Welch of Vermont.
For more information visit: www.ussenateyouth.org
