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Youth prepare for the future on Electric Cooperative Tour
Representing Clarke-Washington EMC was Katie Simon of Thomasville High School and Tyler Chastain of Leroy High School. They were chosen to participate in this trip by winning the Clarke-Washington EMC Youth Tour contest, held in the spring. On the first day, of their weeklong trip to Washington D.C., they visited the Iwo Jima Memorial; the WWII, Vietnam and Korean War Memorials; and the Lincoln, Jefferson and FDR memorials. During the week they also toured Mount Vernon, Washington National Cathedral, the Smithsonian Institute, the U.S. Capitol, Union Station, the White House, the Pentagon, and the Holocaust Museum, and they watched the Changing of the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. "Youth Tour was an awesome experience for me," Katie Simon said. "It was inspiring to see all the historical monuments and learn more about the electric cooperative way of life. I made so many new friends and great memories. I had the time of my life." On Monday, June 11, the National Youth Day Rally brought 1,491 young people representing 47 states with 275 chaperones together to learn more about the history of electric cooperatives under the theme "Commitment to Community." During the convention, NRECA's CEO Glenn English spoke to the students, "Electric cooperatives are truly unique and special and different … they represent the community. They're not for profit. They're there specifically for the purpose of helping the people who own the utility." Key note speaker for the convention was Mike Schlappi, whose motivational speech, "Just because you can't stand up, doesn't mean you can't stand out," inspired students to be leaders in their communities. Schlappi is a four time Paralympics medalist and two times World Champion in wheelchair basketball. Students were introduced to political elements that surround rural electric cooperatives from former Nebraska State Senator David Landis as he presented an historical monologue portraying the former U.S. Senator George W. Norris. Norris was known as one of the shepherds of the Rural Electrification Administration and Tennessee Valley Authority, which resulted in the formation of rural electric cooperatives and public power in the 1930s. On their trip to the U.S. Capitol, Alabama U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner and other representatives and senators visited with Alabama's rural youth to address their questions about energy, our state and the nation. "I was excited about the trip to D.C. before we left Jackson, but I was blown away by how awesome and even educational this trip was," Tyler said. "Youth Tour has been an unbelievable experience. It was inspiring to see all the sites and I have made many life-long friends on this trip." Clarke-Washington EMC sends high school students from the Clarke County and Washington County areas each year to the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour in Washington D.C. All high school juniors are eligible to participate in the Youth Tour contest which consists of an essay and an interview session about Clarke-Washington EMC and rural electric cooperatives. The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour has brought high school students to Washington D.C. every June since the late 1950s.
Katie Simon is the daughter of Mark and Marsha Simon of Thomasville and Tyler Chastain is the son of Greg and Becky Chastain of Leroy.
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