April 8, 2004

Leland senior takes on Washington as member of the U.S. Youth Senate

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

With George W. and Sen. John Kerry occupied exploring the bounds of hypocrisy in an already heated campaign, it certainly is time for a change at the helm of the Free World. The United States is in need of leadership and, according to many, with the exception of smooth talking Austrians, the talent pool is nearly dried up. But there’s a pleasant surprise for those pessimists. Leland High School’s Deena Shakir is just four years away from her entry into the political gauntlet, or, for that matter, any other world she chooses.

Recently Shakir, a senior, was named one of two delegates representing California in the 42nd annual William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s United States Senate Youth Program.

Established in 1962 by Senate Resolution 324, the program awards two students from each state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity, an all-expense paid trip to Washington for a week of intensive governmental study.

In late February, Shakir joined 101 other students, chosen according to their leadership abilities, commitment to volunteer work, and ability to rank within the top 1 percent of the state academically, for a week in the Capitol. In addition to a break from school, each Junior Senator received a $5,000 college scholarship toward undergraduate studies.

“Each state’s department of education is in charge of the selection process,” said Shakir, who speaks with eloquence and articulation beyond that of most working professionals twice her age. “To qualify, you have to be involved with some sort of leadership program.” For Shakir, this requirement was fulfilled serving as the student representative and secretary-elect for the New American High School Transform-ation Board.

In addition, Shakir submitted a written application to the California Department of Education and weathered an extensive testing process covering the history of the United States government. The final leg of the application process was a phone interview, which, evidentially, went well enough to assure the California decision makers that Shakir was one of the top two applicants out of 600.

Upon arriving in Washington on Feb. 28, Shakir received the “Democratic Treatment.”

“We stayed in the Mayflower Hotel where all the senators stay and they throw the inaugural ball,” said Shakir. “It was a really exciting week. Essentially, I got to meet the two brightest high school students from every state.”
Shakir also met political and social dignitaries including President Bush, Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer, and renowned journalist Helen Thomas.

“I’ve met him twice,” said Shakir of President Bush. “The first time he spoke to us in a big group for the Junior Senate, but the second time I got to shake his hand and he told a joke to the group. After explaining that he wished we’d met in the Oval Office, he pointed out that we weren’t there because there were corners in the room.”

Shakir’s second encounter with Bush came one week after the United States Youth Senate program wrapped, while Shakir stayed an additional week in Washington after being named the California Champion in the VFW Voice of Democracy Audio Essay. Despite finishing as the second place female in the contest appointing the two best high school journalists in the country, Shakir secured another $10,000 in scholarship monies.

“The day the Junior Senate trip ended the next program started,” said Shakir, who dovetailed the two events, enjoying a longer stay in Washington. “I’ve been very lucky. I guess I’d say that working hard and trying to make a difference paid off. It was such a great experience to fly out here and visit all of these historical landmarks and meet all these people. I hope that everybody knows they can do this too.”

With graduation closing fast, there isn’t much work left for Shakir securing more scholarships. It appears that the only task that remains is planning her next big trip. Leland’s most promising young lady has narrowed the possibilities down to two locations: Palo Alto or Cambridge, Mass. Wherever she decides to attend college, Harvard or Stanford, the sky is the limit.