Wyoming Delegates Selected for U.S. Senate Youth Program

The two Wyoming delegates selected for the 2019 United States Senate Youth Program were announced last week.

According to the Wyoming Department of Education, Easton Countryman, a junior at Kemmerer Junior/Senior High School, and Toby Arment, a senior at Rawlins High School, will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. and a $10,000 scholarship from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.

“The application process for this program is rigorous, and Easton and Toby excelled in every category,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow in a statement last Wednesday. “Besides being excellent students, they are excellent citizens, and both have given back to their communities in so many ways. I am pleased that Easton and Toby will represent Wyoming as they meet with our nation’s leaders and get a real hands-on experience in leadership through service.”

The department of education says Countryman and Arment are both active in speech and debate, with Arment being nationally recognized, and both volunteer extensively in their community.

Arment serves as student body treasurer at Rawlins High School, and participates in the Rawlins chapter of the National Honor Society. He captained the Rawlins High School speech and debate team his junior and senior year and is the recipient of the Speech and Debate Academic All American Award: a recognition that goes to fewer than one half of 1 percent of all student speech and debate members each year. Arment has volunteered to moderate political forums for city, county, and state political races.

Countryman has been on the Kemmerer Junior/Senior High School is the president of his class, and he participates in speech and debate, 4-H, and golf. He is active in his community through volunteering for blood drives, highway cleanups, and park renovations. Countryman also helped start a youth organization called Interact, which he currently serves as vice president.

The program was established by the U.S. Senate in 1962 and provides experience for students interested in public service careers. Delegates will hear senators, cabinet members, and officials of the Departments of State and Defense address policy issues. They will also participate in a meeting with a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and the President of the United States.

This is the 57th Annual U.S. Senate Youth Program. Proceedings will be held March 2-9, 2019.