Wellington, Kan. - Rebecca Hensley, a junior attending Wellington High School, has been selected to be part of the 11 day Congressional Academy to be held this summer in Washington D.C., with day trips to Philadelphia and Gettysburg. Hensley will be one of the two students to represent Kansas at this year’s academy, scheduled for June 29-July 11. Hensley’s American History Teacher this year is Rick Phelps and she had to write an essay to win her nomination and to be recommended by the Social Studies Department at WHS. From the heated debating floor of Independence Hall, to the bloodied fields of Gettysburg and the empowering steps of the Lincoln Memorial, American history is far more than just dates and speeches to those attending the Congressional Academy for American History and Civics. The Academy will takes participants on an exploration of the American experience with a careful study of three of America’s most critical eras through the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address and, Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream” speech. One hundred high school juniors have been selected to participate in the Congressional Academy. They will spend their time in three daily lectures and engaging in discussions with smaller groups of 25 students twice a day. Two students from each state will be selected along with four alternates. Students will receive 3 hours of undergraduate credit from Ashland University. This credit can be used toward an undergraduate degree offered by Ashland University or may be transferred to another institution.