A Week to Remember

For five unforgettable days in June, Bri’Elle Hall and Joshua Morgan joined more than 2,000 other students from across the country in Washington, D.C., for the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. Hall and Morgan are both rising juniors at Westmoreland High School. The week was spent exploring the nation’s capital, learning about government and electric cooperatives, and building lasting friendships.

This year’s trip theme was “Make Your Mark.” Throughout the week, students visited some of the nation’s most significant landmarks and memorials, including the Thomas Jefferson, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr. memorials, Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon and the U.S. Capitol. Each stop offered a different example of what it means to leave a lasting legacy. Students learned about leaders who shaped the nation through public service, perseverance and sacrifice, while also considering how they can make a difference in their own communities.

One of the week’s highlights was Capitol Hill day. Hall and Morgan met with a member of U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman’s staff and asked thoughtful questions about how to engage the next generation of voters. “I learned about the behindthe scenes work that goes into helping Congressman Wittman put together and pass pieces of legislation,” says Morgan. The day also included a guided tour of the Capitol and a visit to the U.S. Supreme Court. “I had never been to the Supreme Court before and enjoyed learning about different cases and viewing the exhibits,” Hall says.

The experience extended beyond history and government. During Youth Day, cooperative leaders encouraged
delegates to return home and make their mark, while four-time Paralympic gold medalist Mike Schlappi challenged students to persevere through adversity with his message: “If you can’t stand up, stand out.”

Students also visited Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative to learn about careers in the electric cooperative industry and witness a live-line safety demonstration. “Learning about and seeing the challenges lineworkers face showed me how difficult their job is,” says Hall. “It reminds me to give them grace when they are working to restore power during major storms and outages.”

While the week was packed with educational opportunities, it was the connections students made that left the greatest impression. Hall’s favorite memory was an impromptu rendition of “Happy Birthday” in the hotel elevator as she celebrated her 16th birthday. Morgan says his favorite part of the week was “making many new friends.” Through activities such as Topgolf, a Washington Nationals MLB game, a dinner cruise on the Potomac River, and the long-standing Youth Tour tradition of pin trading, students formed friendships with peers from across Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and beyond.

As students learned about leaders, innovators and everyday citizens who shaped history, they were reminded that making your mark does not always require a national stage. Sometimes it begins with serving others, building connections, and making a positive difference close to home. Youth Tour encourages students to take the lessons they learned in Washington and use them to leave a lasting impact in their schools, communities and future careers.

Read this article and more in the August Cooperative Living magazine.