“I wanted to see how the system can work when you really want it to, and what you can do to make that happen.” - Kross Brown, BSMA Danforth
Two Oklahoma high school seniors will represent the state when they participate in the U.S. Senate Youth Program in March.
And they’re both in the same program at Francis Tuttle Technology Center.
Kross Brown, who attends the Biosciences and Medicine Academy (BSMA) on the Danforth Campus, and Lakshmiprasanna Reddy Birasam, who attends the BSMA at the Rockwell Campus, were selected for the 64th annual Senate Youth Program during a months-long application and review process. They will travel to Washington, D.C., during the program’s Washington Week – March 7-14 – where they will meet with Oklahoma Senators James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin, along with a host of other public officials.
The honor also comes with a $10,000 scholarship.
“I actually didn’t know about that when I applied, but that was the icing on the cake,” Brown said about the scholarship. “That amount of money really is life-changing.”
Brown, an Edmond Memorial High School student, and Birasam, a Deer Creek High School student, had to complete a lengthy application process that included interviews and submitting essays. Their submissions and interviews focused on public policy and how it impacts their career interests, which is the healthcare field.
“I’ve always been interested in history and government,” Birasam said. “It’s the best way to make the systems that affect people’s lives have a level impact. When you think about it, just one bill can have a big impact on so many people’s lives.”
Birasam has worked with state legislators on public health-related policy through the Oklahoma Youth Advisory Council, which she founded. She is the Vice President for the BSMA chapter of HOSA-Future Health Professionals and has been the Ward 8 Representative on the Oklahoma City Youth Council.
Brown said he became interested in healthcare when he saw the importance of it during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Over time, he understood how public policy can make a difference in the health of the community.
“I saw the need for healthcare workers and how important that is,” he said. “I wanted to see how the system can work when you really want it to, and what you can do to make that happen.”
Brown has nonprofit experience, including as a member of the OKC Bombing Memorial Teen Board and Secretary of the Citizens Caring for Children Teen Board that supports youth in foster care. He is currently the Northeastern Vice President of Oklahoma HOSA and was a HOSA International Executive Council candidate. He is also a recipient of the President’s Education Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement.
The US Senate Youth Program group will spend a week in Washington, D.C., to tour the nation’s capital and meet with Senators, the President, a Supreme Court Justice, and other high-level officials.
“It’s always an amazing opportunity to meet the most powerful person in the world,” Brown said.