The following press release from the United States Senate Youth Program, announces the selection of Colby Edwards as one of only two students in the state of Kentucky chosen to be part of the national student delegation. Colby, an MCHS senior, will be one of only 104 students invited to Washington, D.C. from around the country to take part in this week-long program.
January 9, 2020, Washington, D.C. —The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) announces that high school students Mr. Colby Lee Edwards and Mr. Nicholas James Huls will join Senator Mitch McConnell and Senator Rand Paul in representing Kentucky in the nation’s capital during the 58th annual USSYP Washington Week, to be held March 7 — 14, 2020. Colby Edwards of Benton and Nicholas Huls of Louisville were selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be part of the 104 national student delegation who will also each receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study.
The USSYP was created by Senate Resolution 324 in 1962 and has been sponsored by the Senate and fully funded by The Hearst Foundations since inception. Originally proposed by Senators Kuchel, Mansfield, Dirksen and Humphrey, the impetus for the program as stated in Senate testimony is “to increase young Americans’ understanding of the interrelationships of the three branches of government, learn the caliber and responsibilities of federally elected and appointed officials, and emphasize the vital importance of democratic decision making not only for America but for people around the world.”
Each year this extremely competitive merit-based program brings 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 and the people who lead it. The overall mission of the program is to help instill within each class of USSYP student delegates more profound knowledge of the American political process and a lifelong commitment to public service. In addition to the program week, The Hearst Foundations provide each student with a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship with encouragement to continue coursework in government, history and public affairs. Transportation and all expenses for Washington Week are also provided by The Hearst Foundations; as stipulated in S.Res.324, no government funds are utilized.
Colby Edwards, a senior at Marshall County High School, serves as the president of his school’s Young Democrats, and is a voting member of the Marshall County Democratic Party Executive Committee. He volunteers for local and state political campaigns, while also leading others in doing so. He serves as the vice president of his school’s Kentucky Junior Historical Society, and was selected to be a peer mentor for a suicide prevention program by his teachers. Colby is a co-captain of the academic team, where he excels in his area of social studies.
Nicholas Huls, a senior at Trinity High School, serves as a Student Government representative. He is a National Merit Semifinalist, an AP Scholar with Distinction, and a Kentucky Governor’s Scholar. Nick is vice president of the National Honor Society and president of Y-Club, which encompasses Kentucky Youth Assembly (KYA) and Kentucky United Nations Assembly (KUNA) delegations. He received an Outstanding Speaker award at KYA and an Outstanding Resolution award at KUNA. Nick is captain and a third-year varsity starter of the quick recall team. He also participates in jazz band, the St. Joseph of Arimathea Society, and Hand in Hand Ministries’ immersion mission trips.