December 15, 2021
CHARLESTON, W.Va. —The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) congratulates two students recently selected to represent the state as part of the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). Mr. Brandon Frazier and Ms. Anna Walter will join Senator Joe Manchin III and Senator Shelley Moore Capito as state student delegates during the 60th annual USSYP Washington Week Online, to be held March 6 – 9, 2022.
Brandon Frazier of Wayne County and Anna Walter of Jefferson County were selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be a part of the 104 national student delegation that will each also receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study. Due to the pandemic continuing to affect the safety of travel, indoor gatherings and access to government buildings, the 2022 USSYP Washington Week will be held online.
Brandon Frazier, a senior at Spring Valley High School, serves as the president of the Spanish Honor Society. Frazier is also a member of the National Honor Society and a football player for his local school team. He actively volunteers as a programmer and graphic designer for WV ALLSTAR, an organization dedicated to the advancement of STEM education in West Virginia. His football team has engaged in numerous community service projects including raising money for a family with an immediate medical need. Frazier is actively pursuing the creation of new clubs in his school to help improve ACT and SAT test scores and provide better educational opportunities for his school district. He plans to attend college and pursue a career in law. Frazier would like to represent the state of West Virginia as a congressman in the future.
Anna Walter, a senior at Washington High School, serves as the West Virginia Key Club District Governor. Walter also serves as the historian of the National Honor Society and an assistant tennis coach for the Jefferson Junior Girls’ Tennis Team. She has consistently participated in the United Nations Children Fund helping to raise money to vaccinate children worldwide. In addition, Walter is a volunteer for Boxes for Bravery, a project of making “get well” packages for cancer patients. Walter is planning to attend a four-year university and major in nursing and minor in political science. She aspires to be a nurse practitioner and eventually a U.S. senator.
Chosen as alternates to the 2022 program were Ms. Logan Jordan, a resident of Milton who attends Cabell Midland High School and Mr. Erik Cochrane, a resident of Man who attends Man High School.
Delegates and alternates are selected by the state departments of education nationwide and the District of Columbia and Department of Defense Education Activity, after nomination by teachers and principals. The chief state school officer for each jurisdiction confirms the final selection. This year’s West Virginia delegates and alternates were designated by State Superintendent W. Clayton Burch.
During the program week, the student delegates will attend online meetings and briefings with senators, the president, a justice of the Supreme Court, leaders of cabinet agencies and senior members of the national media, among others.
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 5,800 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; 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; former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the first alumnus to be elected governor; former Chief Judge Robert Henry, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit; former Ambassador to West Germany Richard Burt, former presidential advisors Thomas “Mack” McLarty and Karl Rove. Additional notables include former Lt. Governor of Idaho David Leroy, Provost of Wake Forest University Rogan Kersh, military officers, members of state legislatures, Foreign Service officers, top congressional staff, healthcare providers and other university educators.
Members of the U. S. Senate Youth Program 2022 annual Senate Advisory Committee are: Senator Christopher A. Coons of Delaware, Democratic Co-Chair; Senator Susan M. Collins of Maine, Republican Co-Chair; Advisory Members: Senator Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM); Senator Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-OR); Senator Tina Smith (D-MN); Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA); Senator Mike Braun (R- IN); Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV); Senator James M. Inhofe (R-OK) and Senator M. Michael Rounds (R-SD). Each year, the Honorary Co-Chairs of the program are the vice president of the United States and the Senate majority and minority leaders.
To learn more, visit www.ussenateyouth.org.
For questions about West Virginia’s delegates, alternates or state selection process, contact Dustin Lambert at dllambert@k12.wv.us or by calling 304-558-8098.
For general information about the United States Senate Youth Program, contact Program Director Ms. Rayne Guilford at rguilford@hearstfdn.org or by calling 800-425-3632.
For media inquiries, contact Christy Day at West Virginia Department of Education Office of Communications at 304-558-2699 or Christy.Day@k12.wv.us.
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