WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator Susan Collins is pleased to announce that Jennie D’Amico and Haili Muse have been selected to participate in the 44th Annual United States Senate Youth Program in Washington, D.C. The two high school students will join 102 other delegates who will spend a week in Washington, March 4-11, 2006, to observe the federal government in action. Jennie D’Amico is from Brewer and is a student at Brewer High School and Haili Muse is from Norridgewock and is a student at Skowhegan Area High School. Chosen by Maine’s Superintendent of Education, both D’Amico and Muse rank academically in the top one percent of Maine’s high school students and exhibit outstanding leadership skills. The United States Senate Youth Program was established in 1962. Since then, more than 4,000 students have participated in this unique leadership program. “I have the honor and privilege of being the first delegate to the United States Senate Youth Program elected to the U.S. Senate,” said Senator Collins. “My commitment to public service was reinforced as a senior in high school when I was chosen as a delegate and traveled to Washington and met Senator Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman in history to serve in both the House and the Senate. I am pleased Jennie and Haili have been chosen to participate in this worthwhile program and look forward to meeting with them while they are in Washington, D.C.” D’Amico and Muse, and each of the student delegates chosen to participate, will receive a $5,000 college scholarship. Since its inception, the program has been fully funded by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.