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Bartlesville High School senior Pranoy Behera has been selected as one of only two students to represent Oklahoma as a delegate to the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) to be held in Washington, D.C. March 4 – 11, 2017. Pranoy will also receive a $10,000 college scholarship as part of this honor.

Pranoy was selected as an alternate to the program in 2015. In the summer of 2016 he was elected Secretary of the American Legion Boys Nation Senate, so he is no stranger to national recognition.

The USSYP was founded in 1962 through a U.S. Senate Resolution, and each year two of the highest-achieving students from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education system overseas are selected through an extremely competitive merit-based selection process held at the state departments of education nationwide.

Born in the Odisha state of India, Pranoy and his family immigrated to the United States and lived in several states prior to moving to Bartlesville. In 2013 his father, Babaji, started working for ConocoPhillips, bringing to town his wife, Sushrita, their son Pranoy, and their two daughters, Priyanka and Prerna.

Behera says "Bartlesville is such a great community and I have had several experiences that have had a huge impact on my life. As an immigrant to the United States, I just want to be able to serve the nation that has been so great to me."

Recently Pranoy was one of four BHS seniors to be named National Merit Semifinalists. Pranoy is President of the high school's chapter of the National Honor Society and is a member of the National Technical Honor Society.He has been a member of the Symphonic Orchestra and was selected for All District Orchestra for the last three years. He was an Academic All American in the National Speech and Debate Association. He is involved with the Debate club, Interact club, Technology Student Association, and Young Democrats, and a member of the National Society of High School Scholars. In his spare time, he volunteers and tutors students at On the Rock Ministries and volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma. Pranoy also enjoys math, following politics, following baseball, and reading.