This article was originally published on January 11 and updated on February 20, 2024
We would like to congratulate Brother Martin Senior Dylan Rhoton '24 for being selected for the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP), an honor that very few students from across the country have received since the program's inception in 1962. Dylan will join Senator Bill Cassidy and Senator John N. Kennedy in representing Louisiana during the 62nd annual USSYP Washington Week, to be held March 2 — 9, 2024. Dylan was selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be part of the 104 national student delegation. Dylan will also receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study.
From the official United States Senate Youth Program press release:
"Dylan Rhoton, a senior at Brother Martin High School, serves as the communications officer on the Louisiana Legislative Youth Advisory Council. Last year, he served as the national president of Mu Alpha Theta National Mathematics Honor Society, and currently serves as Louisiana Mu Alpha Theta’s state secretary- treasurer. At Brother Martin, Dylan is the vice president of the Student Council and the president of student ambassadors, and he loves representing the Crusaders beyond the classroom. He has demonstrated strong leadership skills as well as thespian prowess as he takes the stage for school and community theater productions, and he has been trained in ballet, tap, and jazz for nine years. Dylan is a National Merit semifinalist and scored a perfect 36 on the ACT. He was selected as a 2022 student intern for the Suit-Up Program (a national career-readiness and mentoring program) sponsored by the Louisiana Bar Association and was awarded “Most Likely to Succeed” at the 2022 Louisiana Youth Seminar. He maintains an impressive academic record and possesses a keen interest in government. Dylan ultimately aspires to pursue a political and legal career as a federal judge."
Further information regarding the prestigious United States Senate Youth Program:
"The program was founded "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 provides the most outstanding high school students - two from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity - with 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. All expenses for Washington Week are also provided by The Hearst Foundations; as stipulated in Senate Resolution 324, no government funds are utilized.
During the program week, the student delegates will attend meetings and briefings with senators, the president, a justice of the Supreme Court, and leaders of cabinet agencies, among others. In addition to outstanding leadership abilities and a strong commitment to volunteer work, the student delegates rank academically in the top one percent of their states among high school juniors and seniors. Now more than 6,100 strong, alumni of the program continue to excel and develop impressive qualities that are often directed toward public service. Among the many distinguished alumni are: Senator Susan Collins, the first alumnus to be elected U.S. senator; Secretary of Transportation and former Mayor of South Bend Indiana, Pete Buttigieg, the first alumnus to be appointed as a cabinet secretary; former Senator Cory Gardner, the second alumnus to be elected U.S. senator and the first to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives; former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the first alumnus to be elected governor; former Chief Judge Robert Henry, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit; former Ambassador to West Germany Richard Burt and former presidential advisors Thomas "Mack" McLarty and Karl Rove. Additional notables include former Lt. Governor of Idaho David Leroy, former Provost of Wake Forest University Rogan Kersh, military officers, members of state legislatures, Foreign Service officers, top congressional staff, healthcare providers and other university educators."
We could not be more incredibly proud of Dylan and his continued academic and extracurricular achievement across the board, and we would like to thank him for modeling Academic Excellence for all our Crusaders.
