She’s a legend around Woodland: student body president, class of 2019 valedictorian, and now a Bulldog at Yale. And Bayan Galal’s next stop: taking on Washington, D.C.
Galal has been involved in student government throughout her four years at Woodland. She was able to set up the successful gubernatorial at Woodland, where she invited different candidates who ran in the 2018 election. Galal was intrigued by the United States Youth Program. This program allowed two representatives from each state to travel to our country’s capital and be part of active government. Galal and her fellow representatives were also able to meet some of our country’s highest ranked leaders, including the president.
However, being chosen for this program was not an easy task. The application was lengthy, as she had to write two essays to prove she was making a difference in her community. Her application went to the Connecticut State Department of Education, where staff picked 12 students to be interviewed. Galal made the cut, and she was informed after the interview she was one of the two representatives for Connecticut.
[pullquote]“Being selected as a Connecticut delegate was huge for me,” Galal said. “A lot of the political and service work I have done has been at the school, local, and state level, but for me to have my first opportunity to take it to the national level was absolutely momentous.”[/pullquote]
Washington, D.C. was ready for Galal, and Galal was ready for D.C. The agenda was packed for all of the representatives. The day would start bright and early at 7 in the morning, and some nights the hustle and bustle wouldn’t stop until midnight. Galal and the representatives attended meetings with the leaders in the Capitol. Some included members of the Senate, officials from different departments, and the president.
Meeting the president was an interesting experience for Galal. Even though Galal does not agree with Donald Trump’s policies, she took the meeting as a beneficial and valuable experience. These meetings helped to explain how decisions are made in the capital.
“My biggest goal from attending Washington Week was simply to expand my knowledge and meet amazing people while doing so,” Galal said.
Along with all the new information and experiences, Galal made new friendships that she will cherish. There were many memorable moments for Galal, but one stuck out in particular.
“The most memorable moment during the trip was going to the United States Supreme Court and speaking with Chief Justice John Roberts,” she said.
As she was walking in the chamber while meeting Roberts, Galal was amazed about how she was walking in the same footsteps of legends such as Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Maybe one day, Bayan Galal will go down as one of the legends that has walked in the chamber in D.C.
