Ryan Zhang, a senior at West Windsor Plainsboro High School North, recently had an opportunity to get an up-close look at Federal government in action.
Zhang was one of two seniors from New Jersey chosen to participate in the U.S. Senate Youth Program (USSYP). Under the program, which is now in its 55th year, two student-delegates from each state are invited to Washington D.C. to meet with government officials, tour monuments and learn about the inner workings of democracy.
During his trip, Zhang got to meet N.J. Sen. Robert Menendez and attend a luncheon with N.J. Sen. Cory Booker. He also heard speeches from a number of officials including President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Chief Justice John Roberts. They also visited the State Department, where they dined in the diplomatic reception room before meeting the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Zhang said that one of his favorite moments in the program was watching the Senate during a vote.
“We collectively gasped as Senate giants like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Rand Paul and Chuck Schumer all entered to cast their votes,” he said in an email interview.
Zhang said that his participation in school clubs such as Model Congress, Debate Club and Model UN had helped him develop an extensive understanding of government, and that participation in the USSYP helped “deepen my passion for our country’s political process and gain real-world exposure to the field.”
Each day in the program was packed with tours, visits, seminars, and engaging discussion with national leaders.
Starting off with breakfast at the historic Mayflower Hotel, each meal would feature a different guest speaker. They included journalist Bob Schieffer and Nick Rasmussen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
In between, they would take trips throughout Washington D.C., visiting behind-the-scenes and learning about government buildings and monuments.
“In general, the speakers presented themselves as nonpartisans, sharing with us life lessons they had learned through a life in public service. It was beyond inspiring to hear from such a distinguished, yet deeply thoughtful and committed group of people,” Zhang said.
The USSYP was created in 1962 in order to increase high schoolers’ interest in government. Zhang said he actually found out about the program by accident. He was looking for internship and professional opportunities in government and politics when he came across the program’s website on Google.
Getting into the program was no easy feat. Zhang said the application process was “one of the most intense and exhaustive processes I’ve ever gone through.”
The application required him to write an essay, and provide his transcript, a resume and recommendation letters from his teachers. In his application essay, Zhang discussed his lifelong connection to politics, and how USSYP would help continue and strengthen his passion.
“I wrote about how my passion for politics was first nurtured in middle school, when I engrossed myself in Time For Kids magazines in my history classrooms, and how Model Congress in high school, comprised of other well-informed, politically minded students, became the perfect place for me to break out of my quiet shell, find my voice, and advocate for issues that mattered to me,” Zhang said.
‘USSYP helped me realize the importance of understanding people with whom I disagree.’
High School North teacher Ashley Warren, who provided his recommendation for the program, praised Zhang in an email. “Ryan is, first and foremost, a good person. He cares about his work, his peers, his school and his world. I suppose that it must sound cliché, but working with Ryan gives me hope; he does not lead out of a desire to control others or assert some form of superiority, but out of a desire to give generously of his time and gifts to improve the world around him.”
Warren, a Spanish teacher, is the advisor for Model United Nations and National Honor Society, which gave her an extensive view of Ryan throughout his four years at North.
“Ryan first caught my eye three years ago at an MUN conference,” she said. “As a young MUN team member, Ryan captured the room with his public-speaking skills. Since then, it has been my pleasure to watch him compete in MUN competitions across the country, serve as an officer in our MUN club and serve as the president of the National Honor Society.”
Zhang’s classmates also have good things to say about him. “Ryan in 7th grade was very unassuming, at least in my early relationship with him. He was obviously intelligent, but he never flaunted it,” said Jonah Lubin, a senior at North who first met Ryan in Community Middle School. “He would complete some very good piece of work but he did not brag or show off. There was always a mind at work, but unlike the average smart middle schooler he was never openly prideful.
North principal Jonathan Dauber said he has noticed Ryan’s passion and commitment to serving others. “Ryan stands out very much within our school. He is a leader among his peers as well as an advocate for the greater community. Ryan is an advocate for students and student groups at High School North. He connects well with others and demonstrates a humble sense of strong and thoughtful leadership.”
In addition to his interest in government, Zhang also has a passion for music. Last summer, he was one of two apprentice conductors of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America. While there, he has an opportunity to work with Christoph Eschenbach, director of the National Symphony Orchestra, whom he later got to hear in performance one evening at the Kennedy Center during USSYP. “Things really came full circle,” Zhang said.
Outside of music, Zhang also enjoys reading, and has been reading more during his free time in his senior year. He recently finished America’s Constitution by Akhil Reed Amar and is currently reading Justice by Michael Sandel, which is a study of public morality and how it shapes political views.
Zhang is an only child, and was born in Toronto but has lived in West Windsor since moving before second grade. His father, James Zhang, works as a database developer and his mother, Suki Chan, used to work as an accountant. “I broke the mold when I decided to study government and eventually move onto law school,” Zhang said.
After graduation, Zhang expects to attend Harvard University, where he plans to concentrate in government with a minor in music. He also plans to join the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra and get involved with the Harvard Opera Company. After college, Zhang wants to attend law school and eventually pursue a career in government policymaking or law. On this path, Zhang’s dream is to become a federal judge and someday be named to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Zhang said he learned many valuable lessons from USSYP for his future.
“USSYP helped me realize the importance of understanding people with whom I disagree,” he said. “The community I live in is overwhelmingly liberal, so it was an eye-opening experience meeting other delegates from all corners of the county and hearing about their perspectives.”
Some of the delegates he met were self-avowed socialists and there were others who believed in creationism.
“Talking to them helped me not only realize what their opinions were, but also the thought processes behind them. And yet the more I talked to them, the more I realized how much more we shared in our common morals and ideals than were passionate about our differences.”
“So many times throughout the week, I recalled our motto ‘E pluribus Unum,’ which means ‘out of many, one.’ We have often read this motto on American coinage and documents, but USSYP reaffirmed within me the idea that the basic framework of our democracy is its citizens. We don’t stand alone; we are part of a whole,” he said.
Ryan Zhang with N.J. Sen. Cory Booker.,
