Ella Duus of Huntsville and Stanley Stoutamire of Calera were selected to be Alabama’s United States Senate Youth Program representatives, Sen. Katie Britt announced.
Duus is a senior at New Century Technology High School and Stoutamire is a senior at John Carroll Catholic High School.
“I am proud of Stanley’s and Ella’s accomplishments and their commitment to public service,” said Britt (R-Montgomery). “After meeting with them recently, it’s clear their future is bright, as is the future of our great state.
“I look forward to seeing Ella and Stanley continue to excel, grow, and make their mark for years to come.”
The program is “an intensive week-long educational experience and scholarship for outstanding high school students who are interested in pursuing careers in public service with the mission of providing an in-depth view of the Senate and the federal government overall,” according to a news release.
The students attended “Washington Week” where they sat in on meetings and briefings with members of Congress, the president, a Supreme Court Justice, and Cabinet heads.
Duus is president of the Student Government Association, a National Merit Semifinalist, a two-time national qualifier in congressional debate, and a RISE Global Winner. She is also the co-founder of Datakata LLC, a machine learning startup that has contracted with NASA, and has won the 2022 Alabama Economics Challenge. She plans to study public policy and computer science in college.
Stoutamire serves as the Student Government Association treasurer, is a student ambassador, a 2022 Alabama 4-H state ambassador, and a 2022 Alabama delegate to 4-H Citizenship Washington Focus. He is a member of the National Honor Society, a National Merit Commended Scholar, and an Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction. He plans to attend college to pursue a degree in the medical field.
The USYYP was created in 1962. It is sponsored by the Senate and fully funded and administered by the Hearst Foundation.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
