They’re back! The five Texas students including McKenna Pavelock from Anderson-Shiro High School, Mallory Rhodes from Montgomery High School, Ashley Adam from Lake Creek High School, Kirstie Busa from Anderson-Shiro High School, and Abby Barnett from Iola High School recently returned from a fast-paced, action-packed and unforgettable 10-day trip to Washington, D.C.

The Government-in-Action Youth Tour, sponsored by Mid-South Synergy, is an all-expenses-paid experience that offers young adults opportunities to learn about their government and electric cooperatives, make friends and visit famous landmarks.

On the June trip, the Texas delegates met with their elected representatives to discuss current issues. They toured Capitol Hill and the Library of Congress. They also explored monuments and museums, including Mount Vernon; the National Cathedral; the Smithsonian Institution; the Holocaust Memorial Museum; and the Lincoln, Jefferson and Vietnam Veterans memorials, among others. They spent time at Arlington National Cemetery and attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The group also took a sightseeing and dance cruise on the Potomac River with students from other states and watched a show at the Kennedy Center.

Other events included Youth Day, coordinated by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, when all of the approximately 1,900 Youth Tour delegates from about 45 states came together for a special event with guest speakers.

Mid-South Synergy has sponsored students on Youth Tour since 1965 as part of its mission to support the communities it serves.

High School juniors and seniors, be on the lookout for the 2020 Youth Tour application opportunity at www.midsouthsynergy.com/youthtour