State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler announced Wednesday that Martin Bergstedt, an Enderlin High School senior, and Cady Wang, a senior at Davies High School in Fargo, have been named as North Dakota’s delegates for the U.S. Senate Youth Program.

The honor includes a $10,000 college scholarship and the right to attend a weeklong leadership program in Washington, D.C., in March 2025.

Bergstedt and Wang were chosen by a group of Department of Public Instruction evaluators who interviewed six finalists for the scholarships and reviewed their applications. Two other seniors were named as alternates: Signe Nagle, of Fargo North High School, and Eli Zerr, who attends Red River High in Grand Forks.

Twenty-two North Dakota high school juniors and seniors applied for the scholarships, said Jenn Odell, the NDDPI’s program coordinator for the U.S. Senate Youth Program. The six finalists were chosen based on evaluators’ scoring of essays the students submitted as part of their applications. The evaluators then interviewed and scored the six finalists.

“We were blessed to have so many outstanding applicants, and it was heartening to read about the leadership abilities of these young people and how active they are in their schools and communities,” Baesler said. “Our evaluators were greatly impressed with the nominees, their essays, and their thoughtful responses in interviews.”

The student applications included lists of their leadership and academic awards, examples of their community and public service, and essays about their leadership accomplishments and what proposals they would advocate if they were elected to the North Dakota Legislature.

The U.S. Senate Youth Program was established in 1962 to offer a study and scholarship opportunity for outstanding high school students who are interested in public service careers.

It features a “Washington Week” program, intended to give student participants an opportunity to learn about Congress and the relationship between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government.

The program includes briefings from the president, senators, a Supreme Court justice, cabinet members, federal agency leaders, and members of the national media.

Two high school juniors or seniors are selected each year from each of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense’s education system to be delegates to the U.S. Senate Youth Program. The $10,000 scholarships are provided by the Hearst Foundations, which were founded by media baron William Randolph Hearst.