A student from Hampden Academy and another from Caribou High School were selected to represent Maine in the 62nd annual United States Senate Youth Program Washington Week.
Ryan Hafener, a senior from Hampden Academy, and Caribou High School senior Claire Elizabeth Ouellette were chosen to be a part of the 104-student delegation for the event, the Maine Department of Education announced Wednesday. The delegation features two students from every state, Washington D.C. and the Department of Defense Education Activity.
The week-long event, which runs from March 2 to March 9, teaches students how the three branches of American government work together as well as the responsibilities of the federally elected and appointed officials who run them.
The goal of the program is to expand students’ understanding of the political system, emphasize the importance of democratic decision making and inspire students to adopt careers in politics and public service, the Maine DOE stated.
The annual merit-based program is fully funded by the Hearst Foundations, and each student participating will receive a $10,000 college scholarship.
Many of the more than 6,000 alumni of the program, including Maine U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, the first alumnus to be elected to the Senate, have later entered careers in politics and public service, according to the Maine DOE.
Hafener serves as the student representative on the Maine state Board of Education and co-chairs the Maine Department of Education’s Student Cabinet. He is also the president of the Hampden Academy Student Council, serves as a student representative on the Regional School Unit 22 School Board and interns for a state-level legislative campaign committee, among other responsibilities.
Hafener’s prior experiences include interning in the Maine DOE’s Office of Policy and Government Affairs, and participating in Seeds of Peace, an international leadership and peacebuilding organization that brings together youth from areas of conflict.
Hafener plans to attend Bowdoin College following graduation and major in political science or international affairs.
In school, Ouellette serves as the president of both the Student Council and the National Honor Society. She is also a band section leader, varsity cheerleading captain, senior class vice president, Key Club treasurer and Tri-M Music Honor Society vice president.
She has also been named English Student of the Year, the AP U.S. History Student of the Year, and is involved in several community organizations including Relay for Life and the Wintergreen Art Center, among others.
Ouellette plans to major in accounting at the University of Maine following graduation.
