North Dakota names two delegates for 2026 U.S. Senate Youth Program

Bridger Rivinius, a senior at Gackle-Streeter High School, and Alexis Thompson, a senior at Bismarck’s Century High School, have been selected as North Dakota delegates for the 2026 U.S. Senate Youth Program. The announcement was made by State School Superintendent Levi Bachmeier.

The selection includes a $10,000 college scholarship for each student and participation in a weeklong leadership program in Washington, D.C., scheduled for March 2026.

Olivia Grote from Bismarck’s Legacy High School and Rebecca Schlader from Oakes High School were named as alternates and will serve if either Rivinius or Thompson cannot attend.

The delegates were chosen after interviews with six finalists conducted by evaluators from the Department of Public Instruction. The selection process involved scoring essays submitted by the applicants and then conducting interviews with the top six candidates.

Jenn Odell, director of outreach and engagement for the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI), said that 24 high school juniors and seniors applied for the scholarships this year. Odell serves as the state coordinator for the U.S. Senate Youth Program.

Student applications included details about their leadership experience, academic awards, community service activities, and an essay describing which committee assignments they would pursue as U.S. senators along with relevant personal qualities.

“We were impressed by an outstanding group of applicants for this U.S. Senate Youth Program scholarship, and the choices our evaluators had to make were incredibly difficult,” Bachmeier said. “Bridger and Alexis will be excellent representatives for our state in Washington, and I look forward to their future successes.”

Established in 1962, the U.S. Senate Youth Program provides study opportunities and scholarships to high school students interested in public service careers. Each year, two students from every state, as well as representatives from Washington D.C. and the Department of Defense’s education system, are selected to participate.

The program features “Washington Week,” where students learn about Congress and federal government branches through briefings with national leaders including members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, cabinet officials, agency leaders, and journalists.

Scholarships are funded by the Hearst Foundations.