Bandera Electric Cooperative Texas Co-op Power - September 2022

BEC Journeys to Washington, D.C. for Youth Tour

BY KATI FITZPATRICK

FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, Texas Electric Cooperatives has been sending high school students on the Government-in-Action Youth Tour. Sponsored by the state’s electric cooperative association in conjunction with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, more than 100 students are presented an opportunity to visit the state capital and travel to Washington, D.C., on an all-expenses-paid trip.

This year, Bandera Electric Cooperative selected four students to attend Youth Tour: Delaney Morrison from James Madison High School and Sierra Chanack, Cherish Dunlap and Jay Cantu from Utopia High School. Accompanied by Catie Rickert, BEC Youth Tour coordinator, the four students traveled to Austin, Texas, and then to Washington, D.C., for an intensive 10-day tour.

From left: Delaney Morrison, Jay Cantu, Cherish Dunlap, and Sierra Chanack.

NRECA

On June 12, Rickert loaded up the four high school students and began their adventure to the state capital. That night, students and cooperative coordinators from all over Texas gathered for the orientation dinner.

“You could feel the electricity in the room fueled by excitement and nerves as the students connected over their anticipation of the journey to come,” said Rickert. “Getting to know the other participants and coordinators who were similarly excited and nervous to be on this incredible trip created fast friendships.”

The following morning the BEC Youth Tour participants, with the other cooperatives, boarded an early flight for Washington, D.C. As they stepped off the plane in our nation’s capital, they inhaled the monumental history of the United States. The students grabbed their bags and headed to their first of many museums.

After arriving at the hotel later that day, cooperatives from all over the country united for a Youth Day program. The special program featured guest speakers, dinner and dancing. Youth Tour alumni, who had returned to help facilitate the trip, spoke of the value they received from their experience. Mike Shafferty, NRECA association president, spoke to the students about empowering the next generation. That night,

students from “sea to shining sea” danced together. They were giddy knowing that it was only the beginning.

“It was awesome to meet people with all different backgrounds and have the opportunity to share the experience of seeing our nation's treasures together,” said Dunlap. “I made so many friends and I think it helped me prepare to make new friends in college.”

Over the next week, the Youth Tour participants spent their days visiting multiple Smithsonian museums, presidential memorials, the Library of Congress and Capitol Hill buildings. They ventured to the National Cathedral and saw the pulpit where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his last sermon. They wandered through the cobblestone streets of Old Town Alexandria, grabbing lunch and laughing with new friends, and traveled to Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, and paid their respects at his burial site.

As though they were in the movie National Treasure, they ventured from location to location observing the history that surrounded them. Discovering pieces of history left by the founding fathers that some only ever get to read about in textbooks.

The students visited the Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday, June 18. They visited President Kennedy’s gravesite and learned about other veterans who were buried there. Standing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, they watched as students from their group participate in a wreath-laying ceremony that honors soldiers who protected their freedom. Taking a moment of silence to pay formal respect to America’s veterans, the weight of the soldiers' sacrifices washes over them.

“The Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall was the most impactful to me,” said Dunlap as she reflected on the different memorials she visited. “As I looked at the magnitude of names etched into the wall, I realized the number of soldiers who sacrificed everything. We owe them our freedom.”

The evenings were spent emersed in the culture of Washington, D.C. One night, the tour participants gathered on the rooftop terrace of the Kennedy Center for dinner before attending the attending the ballet production The Firebird, an adaptation from an old Slavic tale. The students watched as the dancers floated around the stage telling the story.

On the final night, all the Youth Tour participants boarded a dinner cruise that floated down the Potomac River. They ate, danced and tried to soak up the last few hours they had before heading home. Flashes of light illuminated the room as the students snapped photos with their new friends.

The next morning, the Texas participants departed Washington, D.C., to attend their farewell dinner and Texas country dance back in Austin.

“Flying back to Austin was bittersweet,” said Rickert. “Though homesick and exhausted, the amazing experience, memories, and friendships made will never be forgotten.”

If you are interested in walking through America’s history and government while making long-lasting friendships, apply for the 2023 Youth Tour between September 15 and February 15 at BanderaElectric.com/Youth.

NRECA

Above: Catie Rickert, left, BEC community relations associate.

NRECA