WASHINGTON – Two Saint Mary Central High School students visited Rep. Tom Petri in his Washington office Feb. 26 as part of their participation in the National Young Leaders Conference currently being held in the city.

Emily Sweet of Neenah and Matt Zolnowski of Oshkosh, both juniors in school, have been improving their leadership skills by participating in simulations of each branch of the federal government. Sweet noted that they have also been exploring the national capital, and plan to meet with representatives of the media to learn about government-media relations.

Zolnowski asked for Petri's opinion on affirmative action. Petri, who is Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, responded that he was working to give everybody the tools necessary to compete for good jobs, but preferred not to fix the outcome.