Two sophomores from Umatilla High School who helped draft a national student framework on artificial intelligence in education have brought their recommendations back to Oregon lawmakers. Wyatt Wilhelm and Soraya Rincon testified before the Oregon Senate Interim Committee on Education on Sept. 9 and later met with state Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, to discuss how schools should approach AI tools without undermining critical thinking.
The students traveled to Boston in July as Oregon's representatives at the Student Senate on AI Policy event, where high schoolers from all 50 states debated and voted on AI use in schools. Their work produced the Students First Act, a student-created proposal addressing AI literacy and academic integrity. The AASA Oregon Delegation selected Umatilla High for its strong STEM and robotics programs; Wilhelm and Rincon lead those programs locally and participate in an early college program earning credits through Arizona State University and Blue Mountain Community College.
From Boston to the state capitol
Sen. Lew Frederick, D-Portland, who chairs the Senate education committee, invited the students to testify during a hearing on AI education policy. Wilhelm and Rincon described the Day of AI event and the legislative framework they helped develop alongside peers from across the country. Two weeks later, Rep. Smith visited the Umatilla School District, joined the students for lunch, and discussed their trip, their testimony, and broader questions about AI's effects on critical thinking, parents, and teachers.
Smith congratulated the students on representing Oregon and shared lessons from his own time in public office, offering advice on engaging with people who hold opposing views. The students said navigating those disagreements in Boston was one of the most instructive parts of the experience.
Sharp divisions among student senators
"There were lots of diverse opinions," Wilhelm said in a district news release. "Some student senators were in favor of AI in school while others were completely against the idea and said it should not be in schools at all." He said some participants were more open to hearing other perspectives than others, making the debate challenging and educational. The final Students First Act reflects compromises hammered out during those discussions.
The students' core message to Oregon leaders was straightforward: AI should function as a tool, comparable to a calculator, but should not replace critical thinking skills. UHS Principal Rick Cotterell and Human Resources Coordinator Josy Chavez chaperoned the trip, which was funded by Amazon.
Why this matters for educators
The Students First Act signals that students themselves are drawing a clear line between assistance and automation. For teachers and administrators building classroom AI policies, the framework offers a starting point grounded in student experience rather than vendor promises. The emphasis on AI literacy and academic integrity mirrors what many districts are now trying to codify - and the student-led nature of the proposal may carry weight with school boards weighing AI for Teachers Courses and policy rollouts. Wilhelm and Rincon said the process challenged them to listen to different perspectives and engage in decisions that directly affect students, a practice worth modeling in any school community.
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