ESD's Youth and Government students returned to campus today following their participation in the four-day Youth and Government State Conference in Austin. Many students received individual recognition for their performance, and ESD was awarded Premier Delegation for the fifth year in a row.

?"It was the best performance in my five years as Youth and Government advisor, and possibly since ESD's participation in the program," said Mark Oglesby. "With only one senior this year, the future of the program looks bright."

Five out of 11 participating Youth and Government students earned individual recognition this weekend. Zander Knight '21 earned Distinguished Delegate in Legislative (House). Knight also had his bill make the House docket, but was unable to present it to the full House due to time. Nick Harapanahalli '20 earned Distinguished Delegate in State Affairs. Harapanahalli was also the first ESD student to present his proposal in General Assembly and was one of five to pass General Assembly as well. Wesley Banks '18 and Brian Jones '20 took home 3rd Place Appellate team (equivalent of Distinguished Delegate) and qualified for the National Judicial Conference this summer, while Anastasia Sotiropoulos '19 was awarded Outstanding Club Delegate.

Appointed section coordinators also helped guide their fellow students throughout the weekend. Sriya Dodda '19 (Legislative Coordinator), Meera Gangasani '20 (State Affairs Coordinator), and Brian Jones '20 (Judicial Coordinator) had a tremendous impact on the course of the competition through advice and preparation assistance.

Both the individual and team successes at the State Competition bode well for the future of the Youth and Government program at ESD, and it will be exciting to see how the program grows from here.