Travelers Rest student selected for United States Senate Youth Program
A Travelers Rest High School junior has been selected for the United States Senate Youth Program. Peyton White is one of two students from South Carolina who will represent the state during the 62nd annual USSYP Washington Week, to be held March 2-9, 2024. White will also receive a $10,000 college scholarship. The USSYP was created in 1962 to increase young Americans’ understanding of the branches of government and the importance of democratic decision-making.
“Congratulations to Peyton on being announced for the prestigious award as a U.S. Senate Youth Program Delegate. Peyton’s dedication and hard work have paid off, showcasing his talent and commitment to excellence. He epitomizes what it means to be a Devildog!” said Dan Bruce, principal of Travelers Rest High School.
White, 16, serves as the secretary of the Junior Class at Travelers Rest High School. He aspires to make a genuine impact on the world through his leadership approach in addressing systemic issues, enabling others, and uplifting those around him. Besides reforming his school’s Student Council election process and partnering with several other groups within his school to raise money for local charities, he is in the International Baccalaureate program at his high school, serving in many organizations, such as History Club, Youth in Government, Future Medical Leaders, Spanish Honor Society, and BETA Club, receiving many awards, including the Hugh O'Brian Award. He is a varsity athlete in cross country and track and on the all-county team in South Carolina. A believer in unity, Peyton feels a deeper understanding of the world will help solve problems. One way he is working to achieve this is through the upcoming creation of PLAN (formerly PLINGO), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a comprehensive array of services, which includes encompassed translation assistance, financial support for language education, and personalized tutoring in foreign and native languages. Peyton has enlisted current and former teachers and friends to aid his linguistic initiative. Yale University is his first choice for college, where he plans to study to become a lawyer or a diplomat.
Each year, this extremely competitive merit-based program brings 104 of the most outstanding high school students—two from each state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity—to Washington, D.C., for an intensive week-long study of the federal government. 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 participate in meetings with the president and a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition to the student delegates attending Washington Week, the Hearst Foundation provides $10,000 college scholarship with encouragement to continue their educational coursework in government, history and public affairs.
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 6,100 strong, alumni of the program continue to excel and develop impressive qualities that are often directed toward public service.