WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton congratulated Katherine Sanders of Cave City and Ashton Yarbrough of Bentonville on being selected as delegates for the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP).  Sanders and Yarbrough were chosen from hundreds of applicants from across the state to attend the 53^rd annual Washington Week. 

“Ashton and Katherine have shown true commitment to their academics and communities. The United States Senate Youth program is a great opportunity for them to build on their interest in civic involvement and experience the legislative process at work first-hand. We look forward to welcoming these Arkansans to Washington and helping cultivate their interest in community leadership,” Boozman and Cotton said. 

Katherine Sanders is a student at Batesville High School and serves as vice president of the Student Council, Key Club, and Science Club. She plays varsity soccer and is a member of the Batesville Choral Society. Kate placed 2nd in the 2014 Delta Symphony Vocal Competition and is a six time selection to the Memphis Opera Conservatory. She founded the school district’s Families in Transition project to help meet student’s basic needs and she volunteers in several other community activities. She plans to major in micro-biology in college and eventually enter the medical profession. 

Ashton Yarbrough is a student at Gravette High School where she serves as the vice president of the Student Council and a member of the cheer squad, along with DECA, FCA, and the Key Club. Ashton is the current Girls State Governor, a 4-H ambassador, an Arkansas 4-H Teen Star, and a Girls Nation delegate. Her volunteer activities include food and toy drives, tornado clean-up, Arkansas Children’s Hospital/St. Jude, Special Olympics, senior citizen’s center activities and honoring veterans’ gravesites. 

Chosen as alternates to the 2015 program were Sarah Spradlin who attends Northside High School in Fort Smith and Shelby Tucker, a resident of Hamburg, who attends Hamburg High School. 

While in Washington from March 7-14, Sanders and Yarbrough will join 102 other delegates in meetings with Senators, Congressional staff, the President, a Justice of the Supreme Court, leaders of cabinet agencies, an Ambassador to the United States and senior members of the national media. The students will also tour many of the national monuments and several museums. 

USSYP allows two delegates, current high school seniors or juniors, from each state to be selected by the state’s chief education officer in cooperation with high school principals. In addition to outstanding leadership abilities and a strong commitment to public service, the students rank academically in the top one percent of their states.