Washington High School Students Involved in Supreme Court and My Hometown Program
Three students at Washington High School have been accepted and are currently involved in a program called, “The Supreme Court and My Hometown.”
The program is locally hosted by the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court Eastern Missouri, the Federal Bar Association St. Louis Chapter, and the Judicial Learning Center in St. Louis.
Interested high school students are encouraged to apply for this unique opportunity to delve into the inner workings of the federal judiciary and the Supreme Court of the United States, through the lens of a landmark case originating in the St. Louis area: Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988).
Washington High School students involved in the program are seniors Ellie Reinken, Kendra Bliss and Emelia (Mia) Narup. All three students have taken AP Government and Politics at WHS from Allison Chaney, who encouraged them to pursue this opportunity.
Applications for the program, along with a letter of reference, were due last June.
High school students from the St. Louis area accepted into the program are scheduled to meet 12 times between July of 2023 and February of 2024, after school for two hours per session, mostly at the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis.
The purpose of the program is to teach students about the role of the Supreme Court and its independence in our system of government, as well as the work of the federal court system, through a review of cases that enable students to connect more easily with the Court – in effect, to bring the Court “down to earth.”
The course of study will immerse the students in a review of the facts, trials, and appeals that led to the Supreme Court decisions. At the end of the review sessions, students will complete a Capstone Project that further solidifies their learning and enhances their creative skills.
Students who fully participate in the program will receive the following benefits:
• Supreme Court Historical Society Scholar Certificate
• Supreme Court Historical Society Gift Bag
• Mentoring from and networking with St. Louis area Legal Professionals and Scholars
• Recognition for work on the Community Exhibit in the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse
• Valuable legal research and skills experience
• Behind the scenes look at a federal courthouse
The three Washington High School students are excited to be a part of the program and anxious to learn throughout the process.
“I’m really interested in going into law in the future and to pursue that as my career, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to meet lawyers and to be involved in something like this,” Reinken said. “I think it’s going to be really cool. This is the first year they’re doing it, so we’re basically the guinea pigs for this. It’s a really professional and well done program. This is going to be really beneficial for what I want to get out of it.”
“I’ve taken a few classes with Mrs. Chaney and have spoken to her about my interest in law and to be a lawyer. She posted a link to the program in Google Classroom and encouraged me to fill out the application. Ellie and I filled out the application together and we both got in. It’s been so amazing and professional. I’m so thankful for this opportunity,” Narup said. “I like getting to know people who are interested in the same thing as me, and who are taking school seriously and building themselves up for the future. I’m also trying to get some self-confidence out of it because the thought of going to law school is really scary.”
“I want to be a lawyer in the future and thought this would be a great experience because it’s a hands-on opportunity that we wouldn’t get at the high school,” Bliss said. “I can really experience it first-hand and try to make sure that I really want to do it. I think it would be really cool to be a lawyer, but you never know for sure until you get your feet wet. So it’s a great opportunity to learn more about the judicial branch and the Supreme Court in a way that most people wouldn’t be able to learn.”
Supreme Court and My Hometown Participants
Washington High School seniors, from left, Kendra Bliss, Ellie Reinken and Emelia (Mia) Narup have been accepted and are currently involved the program called, “The Supreme Court and My Hometown.”
Washington High School seniors Ellie Reinken, left, and Emelia (Mia) Narup, right, are pictured with Cathy Kuhlmeier, middle, who was one of three students involved in the 1988 US Supreme Court Landmark case Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier. The case involved censorship of articles in The Spectrum student newspaper of Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis.