PORTAGE, Mich. — After being selected for a competitive program, a West Michigan student is heading to Capitol Hill to speak with national leaders.
"It's a really huge honor to be honest, I wasn't expecting to be selected," said Fayyaz Razi, a senior at Portage Central High School.
After applying for the U.S. Senate Youth Program in October, which entailed writing multiple essays and sitting through many interviews, Razi will serve as a program delegate.
"I'd like to thank the Michigan Council for History Education who interviewed me and eventually selected me, " he said, before also thanking the State Superintendent, Dr. Rice.
He's one of two Michigan students selected as a program delegate.
"I'm really interested in the intersection between people and politics," he said, "and how we can change policy to improve the lives of people."
Razi got his start in politics with an internship in 2020, when he worked on the campaign for state Representative Christine Morris. Later, he interned in the State house. He's even spent a semester in DC, working on the Senate Floor after being selected for a page program.
But Razi is excited for the next big step and the opportunities before him.
"During the week, we'll get the chance to meet the other delegates, and we'll really get the chance to speak with the senators who represent us and also talk with Department officials," Razi told FOX 17.
He hopes he gets to speak to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to address local concerns.
"We know that redlining is a really big issue here in Kalamazoo and I'm really interested in like learning the process processes behind breaking the systems of oppression," he said.
During the program week, the student delegates are supposed to attend meetings and briefings with senators, a Supreme Court justice, and leaders of cabinet agencies, among others. He says there's also a chance he gets to attend a briefing with the President.
