Saturday, August 8, 2026

Kentucky High School Students Invited to Attend Fall Service Academy Information Fair

Sen. Rand Paul is hosting the annual Service Academy Information Fair on Aug. 20 at the Knicely Conference Center at Western Kentucky University. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. CT, with the event being held from 6 to 8 p.m. CT.

The event provides interested students and parents with an opportunity to learn more about the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine Academies. Representatives from each will be on hand to answer questions.

Interested students may RSVP to the Office of Sen. Paul: (270) 782-8303.

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

United States Senate Youth Program - Scholarship Opportunity

 



Applications for 2026 U.S. Senate Youth Program now open

(FRANKFORT, KY) – Applications are now open for the 2026-2027 United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP), a merit-based program that takes the most outstanding high school students from around the country to Washington, D.C., for a week-long study of the federal government and the people who lead it.

Two Kentucky high school students will be selected this fall as delegates and will each receive a $12,500 college scholarship in the name of the U.S. Senate, with encouragement to continue coursework in history, government and public affairs.

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) oversees the selection process of two students to be part of the national 104-student USSYP delegation.

Students will attend Washington Week, scheduled for March 6-13, and participate in meetings and briefings with high-level officials from each branch of the federal government. Speakers typically include senators, a justice of the Supreme Court, leaders of cabinet agencies, other key policymakers and senior members of the media.

Applications are available online and are due Sept. 12.

Applicants should be interested in and participating in leadership, public service and government-related activities. Students will need to submit a transcript, two letters of recommendation, three essay responses, a resume and a signature form as part of the application process.

The semifinalists will interview at the Sower Building in Frankfort on a date to be determined.

KDE will announce the names of the two USSYP delegates and two alternates representing Kentucky in December.

Ethan Morgan, a senior at Marshall County High School, and Patrick Gorbaviy, a senior at Oldham County High School, were selected for the 2025-2026 program.

The U.S. Senate Youth Program was created by Senate Resolution 324 in 1962 and has been sponsored by the Senate and funded by The Hearst Foundations. The 2026-2027 program details are available on the U.S. Senate Youth Program website.

For more information, email awards@education.ky.gov or call KDE Academic Program Manager Rosalind Turner at (502) 564-2000, ext. 4626. Additional information can also be found on the KDE U.S. Senate Youth Program website.

ACT Prep Opportunity - Kelly Walden

 



They have three workshops scheduled for the fall semester. The October workshop will be September 12,19,26, and October 10. We will post that info when we get it. 

WELCOME TO JUNIOR YEAR - CLASS OF 2028

 


Hi! I'm Jennifer Burnham, the Junior School Counselor, at Marshall Co. High School. I look forward to introducing myself to the junior class on the first day of school!  This is where you will look for junior year specific information. This blog is where I will post all junior specific opportunities and announcements. 


You'll note that there are tabs across the top to keep information sorted: Home, ACT, SAT, Scholarship Info, College & Career. I encourage you to check the blog and communicate with me often to stay on top of all information and deadlines. 

Precollege planning is important and this is the year that many juniors take that very seriously. For those of you looking at college as your next step you should make a list of colleges you're interested in, start visiting their websites, and schedule visits - senior year will be so hectic and the deadlines come fast. Along with freshman and sophomore year this is the year that colleges will see the most updated record of your academic standing - GPA.
Colleges and scholarship agencies put a lot of stock into a student's GPA, ACT/SAT score, and their service (community service). Start working on your service component now if you haven't already.

It's important to note that I don't work with just college bound students.  I work with military and career going students as well so please don't hesitate to come see me.

Three popular exams you will hear a lot about this year are the PSAT, SAT and the ACT. The PSAT exam is quickly approaching and will be given on Wednesday, October 22 at Marshall County High School.  The PSAT is the entry exam to the National Merit Scholarship Program and it is given only one time a year.  It is offered to juniors as a practice test for the SAT and for National Merit Scholarship purposes.  Registration and Payment information will go out in Huddle and to student and parent emails later this month.

National ACT test dates are Saturdays in Sep, Oct, Dec, Feb, April, June and July. Students go online and register for national test dates at act.org.  I can help you with that in my office if needed.  Historically the state of Kentucky has contracted with ACT to give juniors a free ACT during the school day for student benefit and as part of our accountability model. This year the state has contracted with SAT and we will be giving a free SAT in March of your junior year. The state could also change this as late as October of this year.  

There are several summer programs that are tied to scholarship money that I would love to talk to you about. Some are educational, some focus on government, the arts and some focus on business. CHA, GSP, GSA, GSE, Boys and Girls state are very popular and the application deadlines begin in November.  Some of them require an ACT/SAT or PSAT score prior to admission.  See me ASAP to check those dates!

You should have heard about the KEES Program the last 2 years. This is a reminder to check your KEES account online. 

If you need CR (previously failed a class, are a transfer student or are finishing a course from summer school) - you must see me to discuss scheduling options.

Throughout the year, there will be events specific to juniors enrolled in dual credit courses, AP courses, and pre-calculus. I will advertise registration for those events here. 
Please don't hesitate to contact me throughout the year with any questions you may have.  I look forward to working with YOU!