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Foothill High School’s competitive civics team erupted in cheers of joy Sunday after they were named as this year’s We the People national champions.
This marks the high school’s first time winning the top spot after four years of making it to the national competition. In 2024, Falcons took the third-place award home from Washington, D.C.
“This accomplishment, to win the national championship, is a culmination of all of the years of education in Pleasanton, where our students have to draw from various classes, experiences, and develop incredible skills to work as a team to compete at this level in the country,” Foothill principal Sebastian Bull told the Pleasanton Weekly.
“Congratulations to our students, our teachers, and their families who were all part of this experience!” Bull added.
We the People is an educational program where thousands of high school seniors across the country demonstrate their understanding of the federal government and the U.S. Constitution by participating in simulated congressional hearings.
These high school teams compete every year at their respective state events in order to get a chance to represent their state at the national level. Foothill took home first place at the state competition while Amador Valley High School came in second place, meaning both teams represented California at the national competition, which took place this past weekend in Washington, D.C.
“It is with immense pride and admiration that we acknowledge and celebrate the truly outstanding accomplishments of the Foothill High School We the People team,” Pleasanton Unified School District deputy superintendent Ed Diolazo said in a statement to the Weekly. “The dedication and effort put forth by our students to prepare and compete in this prestigious and demanding academic event are absolutely amazing.”
While Amador did not place in the top 10 awards, the high school was named as the Unit 6 wildcard winner. According to the We the People website, these are special awards that are presented to schools who, over the course of the competition, had high cumulative scores in one of the six units of the We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution textbook.
“We also recognize Amador Valley High School for advancing to the national finals, an exceptional achievement that reflects the strength of civic education across our district,” Diolazo said.
Bull said he was particularly proud of the Foothill students who, with the help of their teachers and advisers Graham McBride and Jeremy Detamore, spent months preparing for the state and national competitions.
“The students have put in so much work since August in preparation for their competitions and have shown their incredible constitutional knowledge and application at every level of competition so far this year,” Bull said. “Each question that the students have to prepare a testimony for takes hours of discussion, studying, writing, and practice before it is refined with the help of the teachers and other volunteers who pour themselves into helping the team get ready.”
Bull also took a moment to acknowledge Foothill’s past We the People teams who all came close to winning it all and helped set the foundation and standard for the current and future teams.
“We are thrilled and excited to congratulate the students, their supportive families, and the dedicated Foothill teachers and administrators who have consistently championed and supported their goals and aspirations,” Diolazo said.
“The accomplishment of being crowned as the 2026 National Champions in the We the People competition solidifies Foothill High School’s reputation as a powerhouse in civic education,” he added. “Congratulations to the Foothill High School We the People team — your hard work has paid off and you are now the 2026 National Champions!”
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