My family has a long tradition of public service, and as your United States Senator, I work hard to support as many opportunities as possible to help the next generation of New Mexico leaders develop their own passion for service. Washington, D.C., is far away and difficult for many New Mexicans to visit, and so I also work hard to bring opportunities closer to home.
As part of this effort, I recently hosted the 26th annual Student Leadership Institute for New Mexico high school juniors and seniors to learn about and discuss policy issues affecting our state and nation. My friend, former U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, started the conference years ago, and I'm proud to continue the tradition. Earlier this year, I welcomed students from 27 schools across northern and central New Mexico to our conference at the University of New Mexico. The students participated in policy seminars led by members of my staff, and I had the pleasure of speaking with them about the issues that interested them.
I encouraged the students to be fearless - to freely express their opinions while respecting the views of others - and I enjoyed engaging with them about some of the complicated issues that affect our state and our nation. I was impressed by their enthusiasm, and their perceptive questions and insight. I hope that the conference increased students' awareness of government and public policy, and inspired more young New Mexicans to engage in our political process.
Click here to see photos of this year's conference.
Another of my favorite duties as U.S. Senator is nominating some of our state's outstanding, engaged students for appointments to our nation's military service academies. My father and uncle served in World War II before going on to hold elected office, and I have deep-rooted respect and appreciation for the military men and women and their families who sacrifice greatly to keep America safe and protect our freedoms. For students who answer the call to serve, our service academies provide an unparalleled academic education and numerous leadership opportunities in both military and civilian life.
Four of the five service academies - the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy - require a congressional, vice-presidential, or service-connected nomination to apply. Each year, I welcome the opportunity to meet with young New Mexicans who want to dedicate themselves to serving our country, and am honored to select our state's nominees.
If you know a bright, motivated young person from New Mexico who is interested in public service, please encourage them to consider our nation's service academies. This month, my office opened our nominating process for Fall 2016 enrollees.
New Mexico's students are our future leaders, and I'm proud to do everything I can to help them succeed. My office provides many more opportunities to learn about participating in government service - even working as an intern in my offices in New Mexico or Washington, D.C.
I encourage you to visit my website here for more information.
