Washington D.C.
Recap
Independence. History. Government. Friendship. These are just a few of the things learned and gained by students attending the National Rural Electric Cooperative (NRECA) Washington D.C. Youth Tour each year in June.
ur 2019 delegates were Mikayla Copley, daughter of Alyse Copley and junior at Three Rivers High School, and Emilee Smith, daughter of Norm and Jodee Smith and junior at Decatur High School. The students, whose families are MEC electric consumers, were selected based on their applications and after spending a day with MEC employees at the Cassopolis headquarters where they toured the building, learned about the industry and discussed potential careers.
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During the trip, the students toured the Civil War battlegrounds in Gettysburg, Pa., and Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Md., on their way to D.C. Once in the capital, they visited several monuments and museums, witnessed the changing of the guard ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and met with local representatives on Capitol Hill. To round out the week’s activities, they also attended a musical.
MEC Youth Tour students Mikayla Copley and Emilee Smith in front of the U.S. Capitol.
“I met kids from all over the country, and I learned a lot about how to interact with others,” said Emilee. “I also learned a lot about how history affects the present.” Her mother noted that this experience teaches leadership skills kids can’t get in a classroom and believes the impact will be long-lasting: “This trip helps kids learn how to navigate the world.” As for Mikayla, she got to expand her current knowledge on significant figures and events in our history, but the biggest impact on her was making new friends. “Normally, I am kind of shy, but I met so many friendly people that I learned to become more outgoing,” said Mikayla. Her grandmother, Mary Suseland, is proud of the independence that Mikayla gained. “I also believe she’s made some lifelong friends, which is just incredible.”
Some of the Michigan Youth Tour delegates stop for a photo in front of the Washington Monument.
We will open applications for next June’s trip in January of 2020. MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES
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