Valencia Rodriguez, a sophmore at Fairfax High School, has been selected as a member of The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia High School Leaders Program Class of 2022.
The 2022 program is supported by a generous grant from the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation. Established in Richmond in 1955, the Reynolds Foundation provides assistance to community causes such as science, education, healthcare, the environment and the arts.
Sorensen’s 2022 HSLP class represents a strong and diverse group of students from high schools across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Class members will focus on the structure and current state of Virginia politics and governing, how sustainable public policy is developed, and developing both advocacy and consensus-building skills.
“HSLP is a key program in Sorensen’s mission of promoting trust, civil discourse, respect, and ethics as components of effective civic leadership,” said Larry Roberts, the Director of the Sorensen Institute. “We believe that Sorensen-trained students can make a positive difference in their communities and should be encouraged to do so.”
“We are delighted to be returning to in person learning while incorporating important insights from our online programs in 2020 and 2021. We look forward to students connecting with peers who are also interested in working together to improve the quality of our civic engagement.”
The High School Leaders Program participants will meet for two weeks at the University of Virginia and receive three college credits.
Many of the nearly 2,500 alumni of Sorensen’s programs for students and adults play key roles in the civic life of communities across Virginia. They include a Governor, Members of Congress, as well as many General Assembly members, Virginia cabinet members, and local elected officials.