The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) is pleased to announce that high school students Mr. Arya Kapil Kashyap and Ms. Selayna Marie Rudolph will join Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell in representing Washington during the 64th annual USSYP Washington week, to be held March 7-14, 2026.
Arya Kashyap of Bellevue and Selayna Rudolph of Fircrest were selected from among the state’s top student leaders. They will join the delegation of 104 outstanding high school students – two from each state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity – for an intensive week-long study of the federal government and the people who lead it, meeting with Senators, the President, a Supreme Court Justice, and other high-level officials. Each delegate will also receive a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship with encouragement to continue coursework in government, history, and public affairs.
About the 2026 USSYP Delegates
Arya Kashyap, a senior at Interlaaken High School, serves as the Associated Student Body Co-President. He is an Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America and has led his troop as the Senior Patrol Leader. He serves on the secretariat and staff teams of Model United Nations Northwest (MUNNW) conferences, including as the Secretary-General of Educational Model UN. He is part of his school’s LINK Crew, works with the Bellevue Youth City Council, and was a Yale Young Global Scholar. Arya has earned his International Baccalaureate Diploma, is an AP Scholar with Distinction, and is a National Merit Semifinalist who speaks four languages. He previously served as a page in the Washington State Legislature and currently interns with a local legislator and a City Council member. Arya plans to study political science and economics and pursue a career in public service.
Selayna Rudolph, a senior at Silas High School, serves as the Associated Student Body President. She is the secretary of the Tacoma Public Schools All City Senate, the president of the Silas High School drama program, and is chair of Silas High School’s Community Service Committee. She participated in community theater and performs community service for the Fircrest Parks and Recreation Department, with over 100 volunteer hours. She has been the lead anchor for Silas’ Ram TV News Broadcast for four years and plans to study journalism in college. Selayna is passionate about the power of the press and intends to pursue a career in media as a field journalist.
