Rib Lake junior attends State Senate Scholars Program

EMILY GOJMERAC

REPORTER

Ryan Buehler is the son of Nicole and Jody Scheller. He is a junior at Rib Lake High School and he just completed the State Senate Scholars Program in Madison two weeks ago.

The Wisconsin State Senate Scholar Program is an intensive week-long educational program offered by the Wisconsin State Senate, in the state capitol in Madison. Admission to the program is highly competitive and is limited to 33 academically exceptional high school juniors and seniors from around Wisconsin. There are 33 state senate districts throughout Wisconsin, so one student from each district is selected. Each Senate Scholar receives a hands-on, up-close view of how the senate works.

Senate Scholars gain experience in such diverse areas as policy development, constituent relations, and processing legislation by working with Senators, legislative staff and University of Wisconsin faculty.

“There was an advisor who looked after us students as a group, but each of the students had a State senator from their district that sponsored each student,” Buehler said.

Even though every day was different, Buehler said this was well worth the experience.

Buehler said “The most shocking thing I realized was how well each political party, at the state level, at least, worked together to get things accomplished.”

Buehler hopes that students who are even remotely interested in government to get involved with this program.

Buehler said “I hope to get accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy for Engineering, and I hope that this program will help me get accepted into that school.”

Ryan Buehler of Rib Lake recently was among a group of students from around the state who took part in the Senate Scholars Program. The highly competitive program gives young people a glimpse into the workings of the state senate.

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