BANCROFT — North Gem High School senior Alyson Reed has been selected as one of two Idaho delegates to receive a $10,000 scholarship in addition to an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. from March 2-9.
This year marks the 62nd annual United States Senate Youth Program Washington Week, a rigorous conference involving 104 of the top student leaders from around the country. Funded by The Hearst Foundation and the Senate, the purpose of the program is to teach America’s next generation of leaders how the various branches of government work together, while instilling “a lifelong commitment to public service.”
The application process involves both a personal and a persuasive essay, followed by in-person interviews for the top-10 finalists at the Idaho State Department of Education in Boise.
With so many highly qualified applicants vying for the award, Reed didn’t hold out too much hope to win, even after being selected as a finalist. She said, “When the woman called and told me that I had been picked as a delegate, I was really shocked at first. I admit when I went into the interviews I thought these kids are all crazy smart, I don’t have a shot, so when I got the call I was super surprised.”
Reed’s academic prowess and an ever-growing list of leadership positions at her school and in the community resonated with the judges.
“I know some of the judges on the panel were pretty impressed with how active I am in my community,” Reed said. “Because when I told them just how small Bancroft is and how small my high school is, they were all shocked that small of a high school existed and just how active I was.”
Reed’s experience at one of the smaller public schools in Idaho not only impressed the judges, it also provided the idea for her persuasive essay, as she chose to write about inequity in school funding.
In her essay, Reed wrote: “Funding is the biggest problem for education in Idaho. Being a leader in a smaller school has shown me how big a problem funding is and it has caused me to research a possible solution to our problem. Implementing this solution is something I don’t have the power to do, but I can make my case to those who do have that power.”
Not only did her words resonate with the judges, but also with North Gem School District Superintendent Dr. Todd Shumway.
“Aly has recognized the challenges of school finance,” stated Shumway. “Rather than complaining and pointing fingers of blame, she sought out and shared alternative funding ideas that could guide our legislature in finding solutions to the problems faced by small rural school districts with aged facilities. The fact that she is seeking real solutions to these problems resonated with me as well as the committee that reviewed her essay.”
Dr. Shumway was one of several educators who helped Reed to edit her work, and even though English has always been one of her strongest subjects, Reed acknowledged how much assistance she has had along the way.
“Writing these essays, I did have Mr. Eiman my counselor proofread it," Reed said. "I had Dr. Shumway our superintendent proofread my essay about school funding to make sure I didn’t say anything that didn’t make sense…. And I definitely had our high school English teacher Mrs. Hatch proofread my essay too to help me see what I can improve on. I take a lot of online classes but the in-person teachers here are always happy to help me if I need it.”
Reed, who is graduating in May with both a high school diploma as well as an associate degree from the College of Southern Idaho, plans to continue her education at either Weber State University or Idaho State University, both of which have already offered her a scholarship. Whichever she chooses, she is planning to pursue a career as a radiology technician.
In the meantime, she’s looking forward for the chance to represent Idaho in March, where she and her fellow delegates will meet with members of the U.S. Supreme Court, Senate and House of Representatives, as well as attend a special session with President Joe Biden.
For Shumway, the excitement he shares for Reed’s opportunity also extends to the progress it represents in their small community.
He said, “For Aly to be recognized for her accomplishments and desire to improve our community is a wonderful opportunity for us. We have and have had many talented and smart students go through our doors to be successful out in the world and in our small community. Alyson has benefited from these past exceptional students' belief that they could be successful because they know how to work hard and have integrity. For our community this is an affirmation that their efforts to have strong families and to expect good character, honesty and hard work from our children is working.”
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