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Being called to the principal’s office usually means trouble. For Lucas Yang, sitting in his principal’s office was nerve-racking for a different reason.
Sitting there in early December, he learned he had been chosen as one of two Massachusetts students in the U.S. Senate Youth Program.
Two students from each state are chosen for the program, which sends students to the nation’s capital to learn about the inner workings of the government. It starts on Saturday, March 7, and goes until March 14. Each student delegate gets a $10,000 scholarship.
Yang, a 17-year-old senior, had been interested in this program for most of high school. He’s always had an interest in government and hopes to work in a public service position one day.
“I’m drawn towards [public office] because I would have a lot of interaction with community members,” Yang said. “I definitely want to serve in a position where I’m able to represent a constituency.”
Through every step of the application process, Yang had supporters in his corner, including his guidance counselor, Jack Burke, WHS Principal Paula Conis, student council adviser Rachelle Lane and his parents.
To Burke, Yang is a remarkable student with a variety of achievements under his belt.
Burke has worked closely with Yang, specifically during his junior year when Yang was part of the U.S. Senate Page Program, which required him to spend half of the school year in Washington, D.C., and the other half in Winchester. He has seen Yang’s dedication to his community.
“[His] sense of positivity has always fueled his interest in public policy and trying to make not only our schools a better and more positive place for everybody, but also his local community,” Burke said.
At school, Yang has taken on leadership roles. He’s president of the student council this year, and he’s helped start two clubs: the school’s debate team and a composting club. He’s co-captain of the debate team and director of the composting club.
Yang’s dedication to his community extends beyond school walls and into the town.
Last summer, Yang interned with the State of the Town, a body started by the Select Board to develop a fiscal plan. Michelle Prior, chair of the Select Board, and his internship coordinator, said his curiosity and eagerness to approach tasks were what made him stand out.
Prior remembers how he walked into rooms with 25 people who were decades older than him and was not intimidated. Instead, he was thoughtful and collaborative.
While interning with the town, Yang was asked to compare Winchester’s fees and revenues to those of other towns and to search for where improvements could be made.
The town manager and staff are using his findings to find areas where more revenue for the town can be made. One of the initiatives to increase building permit fees was borne from Yang’s research and will be underway in April.
“I expect him to do impressive things,” Prior said.
As Yang readied to go to D.C., he was excited to learn about the more human aspects behind legislation and bring back what he learns to Winchester.
“A lot of my passion for politics really comes from my education at Winchester,” Yang said. “Having grown up in Winchester all of my life, I’ve always felt really passionate about being involved.”
Tavishi Chattopadhyay is a journalism student at Boston University. This story is part of a partnership between Winchester News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.
