Senior Daniel Mann Selected to Represent Vermont in the United States Senate Youth Program
January 20, 2026
Thetford Academy senior Daniel Mann was recently selected as a delegate to the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) and will represent Vermont alongside Senators Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch during the 64th annual USSYP Washington Week in March. His selection includes a $10,000 scholarship and national recognition for academic excellence and public service.
The U.S. Senate’s prestigious USSYP, established in 1962, brings together 104 student leaders each year, two from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity, for an intensive week-long study of the federal government. USSYP is competitive and merit-based, designed to “encourage America’s most talented young people to consider public service as an important, life-long, and noble pursuit.”
Speaking about his interest in the program, Daniel said, “I’ve long been deeply interested in public service and U.S. politics, and I hope to serve as an elected leader one day. The Senate Youth Program appealed to me because it emphasizes thoughtful, bipartisan engagement with the legislative process and brings together students who take civic responsibility seriously.”
Daniel has demonstrated sustained leadership across both academic and extracurricular life at TA. He has pursued dual-enrollment coursework at Dartmouth College focused on borderlands, migration, and public policy. He serves the student body as a representative on TA’s student council, captains the soccer, track and field, and speech and debate teams, and co-founded the Upper Valley Speech and Debate Camp for regional middle and high school students.
As a USSYP delegate, Daniel will have the opportunity to meet with Senators, the President, a Supreme Court Justice, and other senior officials, gaining firsthand insight into the federal government. He follows in the footsteps of distinguished program alumni, including Senator Susan Collins, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and Representative Sarah McBride.
Reflecting on the selection, Daniel shared, “I’m incredibly grateful to have been selected and am very much looking forward to Washington Week. While I’m eager to learn from our nation’s leaders, I’m most excited to meet the other 103 delegates. I feel humbled and honored to represent Vermont and to join such an accomplished and inspiring group of students.”
Daniel plans to pursue his interests in government, Latin American studies, and economics as an undergraduate next year, when he joins Dartmouth’s Class of 2030.