U.S. Senate Youth Scholarship Program
The Arizona 2026 US Senate Youth Program
The United States Senate Youth Program, established in 1962 by U.S. Senate Resolution, is a unique educational experience for outstanding high school students interested in pursuing careers in public service.
The 64th annual United States Senate Youth Program Washington Week is being planned to be held in person in Washington, D.C. March 7–14, 2026.
Two student leaders from each state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity will spend a week in Washington experiencing their national government in action. Students must be actively serving in high-level elected or appointed leadership positions to qualify to apply.
Student delegates will hear major policy addresses by senators, cabinet members, officials from the Departments of State and Defense, and directors of other federal agencies, as well as usually participate in meetings with the president and a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. All transportation, hotel, and meal expenses will be provided by The Hearst Foundations. In addition, each delegate will also be awarded a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate studies, with encouragement to pursue coursework in history and political science.
2025 USSYP Arizona Recipients
The Arizona Delegates this year are Cameron Mirmelli and Sophia Lin:
Cameron Mirmelli, a senior at BASIS Scottsdale, has long championed the promotion of civil discourse in her community. She has founded The Purple Lining, an online platform for young advocates to engage collaboratively with the public and is actively working with the Cato Institute to develop high school curricula aimed at fostering productive dialogue. Outside of civil discourse, Cameron serves as a Youth Director of the PACE Foundation (a nonprofit organization focused on Pediatric Autoimmune Neurological Syndrome (PANS) research), as well as works on multiple projects which leverage technology for social change. For instance, she has designed two additional websites: RISE Speakers—a free platform with public speaking resources—and is building a quantitative model to measure classroom polarization. Within her school community, she also occupies a variety of leadership roles, such as the founder of Speakers of Tomorrow (a middle school public speaking club that has served over 100 students), Spanish Honor Society President, and Captain of her high school’s mock trial and basketball teams. In addition to her leadership positions, she has been recognized for a variety of awards such as the 2024 Girls Nation President and a Rising Leader for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
Sophia Lin, a senior at BASIS Scottsdale, serves as the vice chair of the Arizona State Board of Education Student Advisory Panel. She is the vice president of the Arizona Governor’s Youth Commission (GYC), and an executive board member and former co-chair of the GYC Education Workgroup. She is also the inaugural president of the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools Student Advisory Council. As a student advisor, Sophia represents 1+ million Arizona students to improve education quality. She oversees GYC’s internal operations and provides mentorship to workgroup leads. Sophia has co-hosted three college preparatory webinars reaching thousands of students in all 15 Arizona counties, with focus on the FAFSA, Financial Aid, and Career and Technical Education. Additionally, Sophia serves as the president of Scottsdale Mayor’s Youth Council and Youth Coordinator for the Arizona Commission on the Arts Youth Arts Council. She is the 2024 National Voice of Democracy audio-essay Champion out of over 25,000 entries, and a National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Semifinalist and Auto-qualifier. As a public speaker, artist, writer, nonprofit founder, and researcher, she aspires to use various art forms and authentic voices to amplify education equality and social justice concerns while finding solutions.
Past Arizona Delegate Reflection Essays
- Cameron Mirmelli (2025)
- Sophia Lin (2025)
- Isaac Ormand (2024)
- Emma Curtright (2023)
- Loralei Cook (2022)
- Nathaniel Cross (2021)
- Eman Massoud (2021)
Washington Week Yearbooks
Contact
National Program Director | [email protected]
Arizona Contact | [email protected]