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Wyoming Chooses Delegates For 2019 U.S. Senate Youth Program

Easton Countryman; Photo courtesy of The Kemmerer Gazette


 

In December, the Wyoming Department of Education announced that Easton Countryman, a junior at Kemmerer Junior/Senior High School, and Toby Arment, a senior at Rawlins High School, will serve as Wyoming’s 2019 delegates for the U.S. Senate Youth Program (USSYP).

Delegates receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the 57th Annual USSYP Washington Week in March, as well as a $10,000 scholarship from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.

“The application process for this program is rigorous, and Easton and Toby excelled in every category,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, in a press release. “Besides being excellent students, they are excellent citizens, and both have given back to their communities in so many ways. I am pleased that Easton and Toby will represent Wyoming as they meet with our nation’s leaders and get a real, hands-on experience in leadership through service.”

Countryman has been on the Kemmerer Junior/Senior High School gold honor roll each semester and was recognized by the Kemmerer Lions Club for outstanding academic achievement in several areas. He is also the president of his class, and participates in speech and debate, 4-H, and golf. His community outreach includes volunteering for blood drives, highway cleanups, and park renovations. Countryman also helped start, and is the vice president of, a local chapter of the youth organization, Interact.

Arment serves as student body treasurer and also participates in the Rawlins chapter of the National Honor Society, and band.  He also captained the Rawlins High School speech and debate team his junior and senior year and is the recipient of the Speech and Debate Academic All-American Award: a recognition that goes to fewer than one half of 1 percent of all speech and debate members each year. Arment has a keen interest in politics, and has volunteered to moderate political forums for city, county, and state races. He also has served the Carbon County Clerk as a poll judge.

The U.S. Senate established the USSYP in 1962 to provide an educational experience for students interested in public service careers. Two students are chosen from each state, along with two from the District of Columbia, and two from the Department of Defense Dependents Schools network.

During Washington Week, Countryman and Arment, along with the other delegates, will hear major policy addresses by senators, cabinet members, officials of the Departments of State and Defense, and other federal agencies. The students will also participate in a meeting with a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and President Donald Trump. Each session includes an in-depth question and answer period.

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