Official Press Release From Senators Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin
Local paper highlights Brandon Davenport
While most high school seniors were narrowing their college list, and high school student-athletes were looking for that perfect fit to continue their athletic career, men’s lacrosse freshman
Brandon Davenport had all of that and just a little bit more on his mind. Would he be going to Washington D.C.?
The answer came in mid-January when Davenport was one of two Michigan high school students chosen by U.S. Senators
Debbie Stabenow and
Carl Levin as part of the 47th Annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). To go with the honor, Davenport and the 103 other student delegates went to the nation’s capital for a week in March to attend the program’s 47th Washington Week. A $5,000 college scholarship was also awarded.
“It was an absolutely amazing feeling,” said Davenport. “I was so honored and grateful to be chosen from the state of Michigan. Only two students from each state as well as the District of Columbia were selected so it was a tremendous honor that honestly changed my whole outlook on life.”
During the week, the program was able to visit many of the national monuments and museums and attend meetings and briefings with high-ranking members of the government. Above all, the students were allotted the opportunity to personally meet the 44th President of the United States
Barack Obama, a moment that Davenport says will be with him for the rest of his life.
“We were on the South Lawn of the White House and we were waiting for the President and then he came walking down to us and I just had the shivers seeing him and just thinking, that is the President, the most powerful man in the world.”
“He is such a down to earth guy and it was simply amazing to be able to talk to him.”
For Davenport, who plans to possibly pursue a career in politics and major in political science, he says the experience will not only help him in the professional world, but on the field too.
“I just got this feeling when I was there meeting the President that I am ready for anything,” said Davenport. “The week made me mentally prepared for anything that I might face in the future, including playing lacrosse.”