Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Wisconsin students Anika Paige Larson and Iman Riyad Snobar will join Senator Ron Johnson and Senator Tammy Baldwin in representing Wisconsin during the 59th annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) virtual Washington Week, March 14 - 17, 2021.
According to the USSYP press release, Larson and Snobar were selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be part of the 104 national student delegation who will each also receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study.
Anika Larson, a junior at Oshkosh West High School, serves as the vice president of the Student Council. She is the co-founder of Let’s Vote Wisconsin, a youth voting initiative with a mission to empower K-12 students to become educated voters in local, state, and national elections. Anika is working with local representatives to pass legislation requiring Wisconsin public schools to provide one hour of voter education each school year. She is involved in her school’s Mock Trial program, has received several awards for her role as an attorney during the mock trials, and coaches several junior-attorneys. In the future, she would possibly like to work with the United Nations to achieve their 16th Sustainable Development Goal: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. Anika is interested in globalization, political and religious philosophy, and the intersection between refugee and healthcare systems.
Iman Snobar, a senior at Ronald Wilson Reagan College Preparatory High School, serves as Senior Class secretary, and has a wide range of experiences as a leader, including being the Varsity Policy Debate and Congressional Debate team captain. She serves on the Office of Civil Rights Committee, implemented by Milwaukee Public Schools to combat the issue of Black and Latinx students who face disproportionate detentions, referrals, and expulsions compared to their White counterparts. She feels strongly about civil rights and liberties, and wants to spark change within the world of law and politics by majoring in political science, ethnic studies, and international relations before attending law school. Iman's eventual goal is to be elected to Congress, with a desire to give back and help her local community.
2021 Wisconsin alternates are Fardowso Shidad, a resident of Milwaukee, who attends Rufus King International High School and Brenan Skalitzky, a resident of Waterloo, who attends Waterloo High School.
Delegates and alternates are selected by the state departments of education nationwide and the District of Columbia and Department of Defense Education Activity, after nomination by teachers and principals. The chief state school officer for each jurisdiction confirms the final selection. This year’s Wisconsin delegates and alternates were designated by State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor.