Rotarian of the Day for May 21, Al Simmons, presented as Rotary’s honored guest Emily Nevils, to speak about her experiences as one of only two delegates from Louisiana selected to attend the United States Senate Youth Program. To qualify for this prestigious program, students must show demonstrated leadership by serving in elected or appointed positions in which they are actively representing a constituency in organizations related to student government, education, public affairs and community service.
Emily, daughter of Chris and Kim Nevils, was one of the valedictorians of this year’s Winnfield Senior High School’s graduating class and, as far as Winn Parish Superintendent of Schools Al Simmons could determine, the only person in Winn Parish to have ever been selected for this significant honor. Selection of the students who represent each state as delegates at Washington Week is a rigorous process involving testing and the composition of numerous essays describing the student’s activities related to government, public affairs and community service, as well as a proctored essay on similar topics selected by the applicant. Emily’s essay topic was federalism as embodied in the United States Constitution, and the division and balance of power and authority between our national government and the individual states’ autonomy. Four students from Louisiana are selected for the final step of the process, interviews by several people on the state selection committee to determine the top two students deserving to represent Louisiana in the program.
Emily was nominated by her principal for this honor after her junior year of high school and was selected as an alternate to represent Louisiana at Washington Week. In 2024, she once again undertook the competition and was successful in being selected as worthy to represent our state at Washington Week.
Emily described Washington Week, the week in which 104 high school students gathered in Washington, D. C., to meet many U. S. Senators, including the co-chairs of this year’s program, Senator Tom Tillis, Republican from North Carolina, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat from New Hampshire. There were talks by leaders such as Bill Doherty, co-founder of Braver Angels, Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh, Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, Jackie Barber, Secretary of the Senate, Ryan Nobles, Chief Capitol Hill correspondent for NBC news, a visit to the National Archives, a luncheon with the Secretary of State Marco Rubio, NASA, the Pentagon where they met Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and Troy E. Black, a U. S. Marine and the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Even with all the meetings, talks and receptions, the group managed to fit in what Emily called “touristy things,” seeing some of the iconic sights and sites in Washington.
Washington Week is sponsored by the Hearst Foundation which pays all transportation, hotel and meals for the delegates during the week in Washington. Each delegate attending the full week of activities also receives a $10,000 college scholarship from the Hearst Foundation for their undergraduate studies, with encouragement to pursue coursework in history and political science.