Students from Aiea and Kailua High School were selected to represent the state at the 54th annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) in Washington D.C. this March. Zachary Espino, student body president from Kailua High School​, and Perry Arrasmith, Student Association vice president from Aiea High School, are the Hawaii delegates that will participate in the annual program.

"We are proud of these students for their leadership roles in student government and are confident that they will represent Hawaii well," said Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. "The USSYP is a select group of students that get the chance to see the inner workings of our Nation's Capitol. It is an exciting opportunity for Perry and Zachary and we encourage them to share lessons learned with their peers when they return." 

During their time in Washington D.C., Arrasmith and Espino will participate in Washington Week, a unique educational experience which includes events and tours that give the student delegates opportunities to meet elected officials, cabinet members, and officials from the Departments of State and Defense. They will also participate in a meeting with a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition to this trip, both students will receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the university of their choice.

Arrasmith is a senior at Aiea High School. In addition to serving as the vice president of the school's Student Association, he is the chairman of the Council of Organizations, captain of the Speech and Debate team and president and founder of the Aiea High School Students for Democracy club.

Espino is a senior at Kailua High School where he is the student body president and member of the National Honor Society. He also serves as the vice chairman for the Hawaii State Student Council.

This year, the honorary co-chairs for the USSYP Senate Advisory Committee include Vice President Joseph Biden, Senator Mitch McConnell and Senator Harry Reid. The Senate co-chairs are Senator Mazie Hirono and Senator Cory Gardner from Colorado.

The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP), 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. For more information, visit http://ussenateyouth.org. 

​###​