State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces California High School Student Representatives for the 2025 U.S. Senate Youth Program

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today announced two extraordinary high school students to represent California in the 63rd annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). Sarah Gao of San Diego (San Diego County), a senior at Canyon Crest Academy in the San Dieguito Union High School District, and Bode Gower of Hopland (Mendocino County), a senior at Ukiah High School in the Ukiah Unified School District, were selected for their exceptional leadership skills, noteworthy commitments to their schools and communities, and academic and extracurricular achievements as California’s delegates in this highly competitive program.

“I am incredibly proud of and impressed by these extraordinary students, who are doing so much in their schools and communities to make a difference in the lives of others. Their significant accomplishments speak to their impressive character and dedication,” Thurmond said. “They will make excellent representatives for California.”

Thurmond also named two alternates in the event one or both delegates are unable to attend the program. The first alternate is James Miller of Oxnard (Ventura County), a senior at Westlake High School in the Conejo Valley Unified High School District. The second alternate is Sriya Srinivasan of Fairfield (Solano County), a senior at Early College High School (Angelo Rodriguez High) in the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District.

“Our four students have demonstrated strong leadership and a passion for making positive changes through advocacy work on issues such as environmental science, rural education, equity, mental health awareness, health education, and social justice,” said Thurmond. “I am very impressed with leaders such as Sarah, Bode, James, and Sriya who are making a huge impact in their schools and communities. Their desire to help underserved communities is admirable—they have set a good example and are excellent role models for their peers and adults. Our future is in good hands with students like them.”

The delegates and alternates are scheduled to be recognized by the State Board of Education during its January 15–16, 2024, meeting in Sacramento.

Sponsored by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, the USSYP provides a yearly opportunity for selected students to gain an in-depth view of the U.S. Senate and the federal government overall, as well as a deeper understanding of the interrelationship of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches, according to the national USSYP website, and is a true partnership among government leaders, state and national education leaders, and America’s future leaders. The program provides a foundation of knowledge and encouragement for those considering a future in public service on the local, state, or national level.

Two student leaders from each state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity each receive a $10,000 undergraduate scholarship and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC, for Washington Week, March 1–8, 2025, to meet and learn from high-level appointed and elected government officials.

Students must be nominated by their high school principals to participate in the program. To qualify for the program, students must be a high school junior or senior actively serving in an elected or appointed leadership position representing a constituency in an organization related to student government, education, public affairs, or community service and express an interest in pursuing a career in public service.

A selection committee from the California Department of Education (CDE) reviews eligible nominees, and students are selected based on the quality of their application, demonstrated leadership abilities, academic achievement, involvement in school and community activities, extracurricular activities, and commitment to public service.

For more information, please visit the CDE USSYP web page.

The following are synopses compiled from the students’ applications.

Sarah Gao—Delegate

Canyon Crest Academy, San Diego

San Dieguito Union High School District

San Diego County

Sarah was elected as President of the School Site Council at Canyon Crest Academy where she leads the group on setting school goals. She also serves as Vice Chair of the City of San Diego Youth Commission where she prepares climate and environmental reports for the mayor and city council. She is Editor-in-Chief of her school’s award-winning magazine and leads workshops on layout design and writing. She is Founder/Executive Director of Coast2Canyon, which focuses on biodiversity, environmental education, and water quality. She is Founder of the National History Day Youth Leadership Council. She directed a segment on voter registration to promote civic engagement and created a documentary and exhibit for a museum on the Lemon Grove Incident. As the President of the San Diego Science Fair Student Board, she created the first science fair boot camp to closely mentor students from underrepresented backgrounds and created tutorials on how to participate. Her novel research on drought remediation and water purification has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), NASA, and the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Her numerous awards include National STEM Champion by ED, EPA Sustainability Special Award at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair for her patent-pending research, and NASA Earth Systems Award (ranking in the top 1.5 percent of 20,000 projects). Sarah plans to major in environmental engineering and public policy to forge a cleaner future for California and the nation. She has a passion and curiosity for science and how the world works. Eventually, she would like to run for public office.

Bode Gower—Delegate

Ukiah High School, Ukiah

Ukiah Unified School District

Mendocino County

Bode serves as Associate Student Body President at Ukiah High School, where he oversees school activities for 1,800 students. He desires to bridge the gap by striving for a more diverse leadership and ensuring that all student voices are represented.

Bode serves as student representative to the Ukiah Unified School District Advisory Committee and is a member of the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee, representing the student voice on the district strategic plan/LCAP and various initiatives. Due to the lack of opportunities to engage in public policy in his community, Bode became the Founder and Chair of the Northern California Youth Policy Coalition, comprising 30 Northern California counties and 100 students to advocate for rural youth and the challenges facing rural communities such as broadband access, mental health, and school funding. Through his activities as a member of Senator Laphonza Butler’s Youth Advisory Council and K–12 Director of Policy GENup, he continuously advocates for rural communities. Bode has been recognized as Outstanding Prosecution Attorney during the 2024 California State Mock Trial Competition and received the Best Attorney Award from the UCLA Mock Trial Institute. He’s also been recognized by the National First-Generation Recognition Program, awarded to students who perform extraordinarily well on their AP or SAT/ACT tests and are the first in their family to attend college. He plans to major in public policy and pre-law studies, attend law school, and pursue a career in public service. Since he was young, Bode has had a passion for helping others and empowering people to live their best lives.

James Miller—First Alternate

Westlake High School, Westlake Village

Conejo Valley Unified High School District

Ventura County

James serves as Vice President of West County of the Ventura County Young Democrats (VCYD) where he represents the VCYD at the Ventura County Democratic Central Committee meetings and mobilizes voters, participates in phone banking, and canvasses for endorsed candidates. James is the Founder/President of the Ventura County Education Network (VCEN), which creates free educational programs for Oxnard students through 1:1 tutoring and pairing high school students with students in grades three through eight from underserved communities. He is the Founder of the Westlake High School Speech and Debate Club and the Model United Nations Club, attaining significant membership growth and expanded competitive participation and success. As the National Director of Debate and Chapter President of the Civic Leaders of America, he facilitates debate workshops and develops curriculum. An expert debater, James was named 2023 Champion of the National Speech and Debate Association Tournament in World Schools Debate. He is the Regional Director of the Central Coast for California High School Democrats where he organized speakers for a Youth Civic Engagement Fair and texted 10,000+ young voters to sign a petition against gun violence. An AP Scholar with Distinction, James received a $10,000 grant from the Social Justice Fund for Ventura County to expand VCEN and advance educational equity in his community. He has a strong desire to meet his community’s needs and be a problem-solver. He plans to study humanities and pre-law, focusing on both the sociological and the political forces that impact social mobility and inequality. As an elected official, he wants to make a genuine impact on people’s lives.

Sriya Srinivasan—Second Alternate

Early College High School (Angelo Rodriguez High), Fairfield

Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District

Solano County

Sriya is the youngest student trustee to the Solano Community College, representing 10,000 students and providing insight at biweekly college board meetings, and has been twice elected in consecutive terms to the position. She is the Founder/President of Solano Community College’s (SCC) Reproductive Health Club, securing a $25,000 grant and providing free sexual health resources to students. She launched the KNOW YOUR PERIOD campaign and introduced Assembly Bill 2229 to include menstrual education in sex education, signed into law this fall. She is a Founder of Bloom 4 You, which focuses on youth health and wellness through education, advocacy, and outreach. She is currently publishing a cookbook aimed at youth recovering from disordered eating and fostering healthy relationships with food. She is a member of the Solano County Commission on Women and Girls, Solano County Young Democrats, and Girl Scouts of Northern California. As a lead scout, she is currently working on her Gold Award, reflecting her dedication to community service and leadership development. Her involvement in the SCC Varsity Speech and Debate Club led her to awards including State Gold Medalist in the Individual Public Debate Association debate category and a bronze medal in impromptu speaking as the youngest competitor in the entire community college pool. She also received a White House Youth Policy Grant to develop a project aimed at engaging young people with government agencies. She aspires to run for public office. Her goals center on public policy and advocacy, reproductive health, youth empowerment, and legislative representation.

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100