Montclair Student Is 1 Of 2 In NJ Chosen For Prominent Senate Program

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Two students from Montclair and Somerville high schools will represent New Jersey at a prestigious youth program.

In March, Serena Jade Lee, a senior at Montclair High School, and Anjali Krishnamurti, a senior at Somerville High School, will join U.S. senators Cory Booker and Robert Menendez at the 61st annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) for 2023.

Lee and Krishnamurti were selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be part of the 104 national student delegation. Each delegate will receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study.

The USSYP offered some background about the program, which aims to “increase young Americans’ understanding of the interrelationships of the three branches of government”:

“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 … 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 New Jersey delegates and alternates were designated by Angelica Allen-McMillan, acting commissioner of Education. 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 6,000 strong, alumni of the program continue to excel and develop impressive qualities that are often directed toward public service.”

Here's what earned Lee the honor this year, the USSYP stated:

“Serena Lee, a senior at Montclair High School (MHS), serves as the Student Council president. She serves as the high school student liaison to the Montclair Civil Rights Commission, vice chairperson of Montclair Public Library’s Teen Advisory Board, as a member of the Montclair Public Schools’ District Equity Team and the National Equity Project. She is co-president and founder of Montclair Menstrual Club and president of the MHS Asian Student Union, and is also a student leader with the New York City-based Asian American Student Advocacy Project and captain of the Montclair Robotics Team. She has mentored middle and high school students, was Asian American Pacific Islander Montclair’s founding media and communications chair, and works tirelessly for equity, diversity and transparency. Through her work, Serena has become an adept organizer and volunteer. In college, she hopes to study organizational behavior, international relations, Asian American studies, and management.”

Here's what earned Krishnamurti the honor:

“Anjali Krishnamurti, a senior at Somerville High School, serves as the Student Council vice president. She founded Vote16NJ, a student-run organization that takes action to expand the vote to 16- year-olds in local elections. Anjali has led the text-banking program as an intern for Governor Murphy’s 2021 campaign and is the president of her school’s Youth and Government, Spanish, and Mock Trial clubs. She was elected to attend Girls Nation, representing New Jersey as a mock senator in Washington, D.C. When she is not participating in politics, Anjali runs the nonprofit Metamorphic Mentoring, which provides free mentoring services to young people in her community. She plans to study political science, attend law school, and pursue a career in public policy.”

Lee and Krishnamurti are in good company, the USSYP points out. Other distinguished alumni of the program include 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, former presidential advisors Thomas "Mack" McLarty and Karl Rove. Additional notables include former Lt. Governor of Idaho David Leroy, 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.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Montclair Facebook page.