December 6, 2005
State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Selects High
School Students for U.S. Senate Youth Program
SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced two exceptional California high school students will be awarded the prestigious U.S. Senate Youth Program (USSYP) annual scholarships. For pictures of the delegates and alternates, please visit Year 2005 - Video
[Note, the preceding Web address is no longer valid.]
The awardees, called "delegates," are Nora Claire Barr from Tiburon, a senior at Redwood High School in Larkspur, Tamalpais Union High School District, Marin County; and Vanessa Lugo from Ventura, a senior at Carpinteria High School in Carpinteria, Carpinteria Unified School District, Santa Barbara County.
O'Connell also named two alternates in case either delegate cannot participate in the program. The first alternate is Vishaal Naishadh Buch from Lompoc, a senior at Cabrillo High School in Lompoc, Lompoc Unified School District, Santa Barbara County. The second alternate is Andrew Hwa Mok from Cupertino, a senior at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, Fremont Union High School District, Santa Clara County. Biographies of the students are attached.
"I am awarding this high honor to Nora and Vanessa for their extraordinary record of student achievement and community involvement," said O'Connell. "Vishaal and Andrew will make superb alternates based on their accomplishments. They all exemplify what is right with our education system of high expectations that can lead to high academic achievement. Congratulations to them all."
USSYP is an annual scholarship competition funded by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation and endorsed by the U.S. Senate. Each state and the District of Columbia select two high school juniors or seniors to participate in the program. The delegates receive a $5,000 college scholarship and attend a one-week, all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. from March 4-11, 2006. The students will personally experience their national government in action, hear major policy addresses by senators, cabinet members, and officials from federal agencies, as well as participate in a meeting with a U.S. Supreme Court justice.
Students must be nominated by their high school principal to participate in USSYP. A selection committee from the California Department of Education and county coordinators for history and social science reviewed eligible nominees who submitted the required paperwork. After a rigorous review process, O'Connell selected the awardees based on the following criteria:
- The quality of the application;
- High academic achievement;
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to speak well;
- Knowledge of American government and U.S. history;
- Involvement in school and community activities; and
- Demonstrated qualities of leadership.
O'Connell will host the four students at the State Board of Education meeting on January 11, 2006 in Sacramento, where they will be recognized for their outstanding achievement. For more information on USSYP, please visit United States Senate Youth Program - Correspondence.
# # # #
Attachment
Nora Claire Barr, Delegate
Nora Claire Barr is a senior at Redwood High School in Larkspur, Marin County, where she is a student member of the Tamalpais Union High School District Board of Trustees and the treasurer of the California Scholarship Foundation. She is a past freshman class representative, sophomore class vice-president, and associated student body treasurer.
Nora is a second soprano in the Les Etoiles Teen Vocal Ensemble, a musician with a group called the "Barr Belles," and a soprano soloist with her church youth and handbell choir. She is an accomplished musician on several instruments. She played the banjo as an accompanist when the choir won a bronze medal last year at the Choir Olympics in Bremen, Germany. Nora has been a lead actress and set construction manager for the local EPIC Drama Company. She was the founder of the Spanish Club and cofounder of the Ultimate Frisbee® Club.
She has donated hundreds of hours of community service to peer tutoring, retirement home volunteering, and native people's service projects, including Sierra Service Projects, Seeds of Learning, and the Marin Museum of American Indians. Nora serves meals to the homeless and raises scholarship funds for disadvantaged children in her community.
Nora has a grade point average of 4.38. She was recognized last year with an Advanced Placement Scholar Award in three subject areas, and a Williams Book Award for intellectual and extracurricular leadership. Nora has won a first place, second place, and two third place prizes in science fairs. She has played competitive soccer and holds a varsity letter after three years of playing Redwood Basketball.
Nora plans on applying to Harvard, Stanford, University of California Berkeley, Yale, and Wellesley. She would like to do internships in architecture and law before pursuing a graduate program.
Vanessa Lugo, Delegate
Vanessa Lugo is a senior at Carpinteria High School in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara County, where she is the associated student body vice president. She is also the vice-president of the school California Scholastic Federation and a member of the Junior Statesmen of America. She is a past freshman class secretary, sophomore class secretary, and junior class president.
Vanessa has put hundreds of hours into many school and extracurricular activities. She is active in the ecology club and plays on the varsity soccer team. In her spare time, she volunteers as a Boys and Girls Club tutor and manages a football team. She also volunteers at many community soccer tournaments, as an assistant children's indoor soccer team coach, and as a track team statistician.
Vanessa has a grade point average of 4.19. She has been on the school's top-10 academic list for four straight years. She has also received several awards for her athletics, including most valuable player in varsity cross country and most improved player in varsity soccer.
Vanessa plans on attending either New York University or University of California, Los Angeles as an international relations major with a minor in either political science or history. She would like to work at the U.S. State Department or at the United Nations and ultimately become the U.S. Ambassador.
Vishaal Naishadh Buch, First Alternate
Vishaal Naishadh Buch is a senior at Cabrillo High School in Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, where he is associated student body vice president and school site council student body representative. Vishaal is also the National Honors Society secretary. He is a past associated student body commissioner and Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accreditation Committee student body representative.
Vishaal is involved in a wide variety of activities including coordinating Toys for Tots collections at school and assembly aides. He has volunteered for community food drives at a convalescent center and in a hospital emergency room. He has played on the golf team and is captain of the varsity tennis team. He founded a group designed to keep students involved in school, called the Lumberjack Club.
Vishaal has a grade point average of 4.18 and is on the dean's list. During the past four years straight, he has received the Scholastic Athlete Award. He has received several mathematics and speech contest awards and attended Rotary-sponsored leadership workshops.
Vishaal wants to attend a four-year university and pursue classes in the liberal arts as well as in the sciences. He would like to go to medical school and become an anesthesiologist.
Andrew Hwa Mok, Second Alternate
Andrew Hwa Mok is a senior at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, Santa Clara County where he is the associated student body president and debate team president.
He is a past freshman class secretary, sophomore class president, and junior class president. He is a member of the National Honor Society and California Scholastic Federation.
Andrew is active in speech and debate and in the American Civil Liberties Union. He volunteers for the Saferides Drinking and Driving Prevention Program, serves on the school's hurricane relief committee, and is founder and president of a Young Democrats Club at school.
Andrew has an unweighted grade point average of 3.93. He won a Yale Book Club Award for intellectual and extracurricular activities, a certificate from the California Speech Championships, and certificates in the last four years from the National Forensics League. He was the winner last year in the Santa Clara County Rotary Speech contest and the Cupertino Lion's Club speech contest.
Andrew plans on studying political science and business and eventually would like to attend law school. He plans to apply to Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, and University of California Berkeley.
