Current Light Flashes

West Florida Electric Cooperative’s (WFEC) Youth Tour program participants visited Washington, D.C. June 13-18. Keshawn Daniels, Graceville High School, and Kaycie Rich, Malone School, represented WFEC as its Youth Tour delegates on the National Rural Electric Cooperative Youth Tour.

While in Washington, the students learned first-hand what it is like to be involved in politics, how our government operates and about how and why electric co-ops were formed. The students also visited many monuments and memorials including the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Washington Memorial, World War II Memorial, Viet Nam Memorial, the Iwo Jima Monument and many more. They also visited many of D.C.’s famous museums, landmarks, Mt. Vernon, and Arlington National Cemetery.

“Arlington was probably the most moving for me,” said Kaycie Rich. “It was shocking how large the area was and how so many sacrificed everything for our country. I also loved witnessing the Changing of the Guard.” 

While in the city, the group was also able to attend a professional baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the Washington Nationals.

Keshawn Daniels said that being able to see all the historic figures and monuments was the thing that impacted him most during the trip. “But my favorite experience was going to the Marlins/Nationals baseball game,” he said.

Youth Tour representatives also had the chance to participate in Youth Day, where they heard motivational speaker, Paralympic gold medalist and author, Mike Schlappi speak. He shares with our future leaders how he overcame challenges from an accident that left him paralyzed and in deep despair to  become a successful athlete, author and  speaker. He is the founder and director of the Wheelchair Sports Foundation, providing sports and recreational opportunities for disabled athletes.

WFEC’s Youth Tour reps agree they discovered new things about themselves through their participation in the trip.

“I have a better outlook on the history of the country after this experience but I will always be a small-town guy,” said Daniels.

The Youth Tour program is open to high school juniors whose parents or guardians are members of West Florida Electric Cooperative. Each high school within WFEC’s service area selects a representative for the Youth Tour during the fall semester each year. The selected representatives then go on to compete for the slots available for the National Youth Tour trip. Rich and Daniels also took home $1,000 college scholarships as Youth Tour winners.

If you'll be a junior during the 2023-2024 school year, see your school’s guidance counselor for more info about the Youth Tour program or contact Candace Croft, Communications & Public Relations Coordinator at ccroft@westflorida.coop.

“Through this experience I learned that it truly is okay to step out of my comfort zone in order to allow myself to grow as a person. I was nervous about the trip at first, but I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to go,” said Rich.