Congratulations to Lizzie Shacklett '26!
January 23, 2025
By Ben Silver
Main Line Today
Agnes Irwin School student Lizzie Shacklett didn’t think she had a shot at getting chosen to represent Pennsylvania when she heard about the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). Still a junior in high school, she was certain the honor would go to someone older. Her ambition, however, paid off.
As CEO and founder of Literacy Is Lit, Congressional Youth Cabinet member, lead ambassador for BookSmiles, teen advocate with the Philadelphia Alliance to Restore School Librarians, national award-winning Irish dancer, Miss Pennsylvania Teen 2023, deputy editor of the Agnes Irwin newspaper and model UN vice president, her resume certainly stood out.
“I watched an interview of this one student who was accepted into the program and she was talking about her experience. And from that moment, I knew I had to apply,” Shacklett says. “I was really excited when I was accepted, and I can’t wait for the incredible experience that I’ll have at Washington Week.”
Beyond earning the opportunity to join with Senators John Fetterman and Dave McCormick in representing Pennsylvania, she’ll have the chance to attend meetings and briefings with other senators, the president, a justice of the Supreme Court, leaders of cabinet agencies and other officials throughout the week.
Furthermore, all 104 honorees will each receive a $10,000 scholarship to pursue undergraduate studies. Shacklett plans to major in either political science or Chinese at university. In fact, she already has a background in Mandarin, having spent four years in Singapore during elementary school.
Washington Week for USSYP honorees begins March 1 and runs through March 8. Until then, it’s evident Shacklett has enough extracurriculars to keep a dozen high school students occupied. Nevertheless, she’s looking forward to the upcoming tour with bubbling fervor.
“I’m most excited to have the incredible opportunity to meet our nation’s leaders in person, to connect with them, to learn from their experiences and learn about all of their hard work that they do for our country,” she shares. “I know this will be a great way to gain insight into the inner workings of our government and continue to immerse myself in the world of public service. I’m also really excited to meet the 103 other delegates. I think that’ll be a great opportunity to expand my network and connections. Overall I know that this is going to be a life-changing experience, and I’m excited to apply what I learned from this week towards my future endeavors.”
A Wayne native, Shacklett spent much of her childhood working with local businesses and figures to better her community. Now, in front of her 103 USSYP peers and the leaders of our nation, she’ll represent her hometown with pride.
“[Wayne has] given so much to me, and so I’m grateful to give back to it in different ways. I think that the experience that I’ll have at the Capitol will definitely assist with my service to the community,” she notes. “But I’m really grateful for all of the encouragement that I’ve received, whether it be from my school, different companies and organizations and nonprofits that I’ve worked with on the Main Line [like] Main Point Books and BookSmiles. I’m grateful for their support and I’m excited for this opportunity to represent them and represent our interests at the USSYP.”