A Thompson High School student will be representing Alabama at the nation’s capitol this spring as part of the National Young Leaders Conference.

Jessica Carter, an 11th-grade student at Thompson High School, will attend the conference in Washington D.C., which is held every March and April.

Every year, the conference selects “high-achieving” high school sophomores, juniors and seniors to attend the event and learn about the different aspects of American government, according to the conference Web site.

“I’m just ecstatic. It’s really a big honor for our whole family,” said Angela Carter, Jessica Carter’s mother. “She is one of about 1,500 students selected from across the nation.”

During the conference, the students meet with Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, lobbyists, journalists and other officials who shape the nation’s government.

“She is very excited about it,” Angela Carter said, noting her daughter is planning to seek a medical degree at Florida State University. “Even though she is looking forward to a medical career, this will be a good opportunity for her to learn about how the government works.”

Jessica Carter has maintained a 4.0 grade point average since she was a freshman, has one of the highest GPAs at the school and is a member of several school honor societies, Angela Carter said.

“Of course we will be going up there with her,” Angela Carter said with a laugh. “We are looking forward to her going down there and having a good time.”