‹ Back to Light Flashes

"This experience truly is unforgettable and I will carry it with me for years to come and share it with  whoever has ears to listen." ~ Haven White

After a two-year absence, West Florida Electric Cooperative’s (WFEC) Youth Tour program participants visited Washington, D.C. June 16-19. Haven White, Cottondale High School; Noah Mercer, Marianna High School and Kat Blackburn, Blountstown High School represented WFEC as its Youth Tour delegates on the National Rural Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. Brayden Whitehead also participated in the trip as a representative of the Florida Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (FECA). Whitehead is the grandson of WFEC employee, Susie Johnson and he competed in a separate essay competition held for the children and grandchildren of WFEC employees and board members. The winner of this essay competition is  elected as the Youth Tour representative for the Florida Rural Electric Cooperatives Association.

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. The group also visited many of D.C.’s famous museums, landmarks and Arlington National Cemetery.

"My favorite thing that I saw while in D.C. was the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution at the National Archives. These two are the most important documents in our nations’ history,” said Noah Mercer.

One of the highlights for Haven White was seeing different and important American monuments. “As a student, you truly only see the White House, Capitol, Washington Monument, etc. in books. However, seeing it right in front of me was an eye-opening experience,” she said.

Kat Blackburn said that her favorite experience was visiting Arlington National Cemetery. She said she gained a lot more respect for the people and soldiers that died for our country.

The 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.

“This experience has benefited me all the way around,” said Kat Blackburn. “Everything we saw on this trip was such a truly great experience and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she continued. The highlight of my trip was spending time with the people from my co-op. They became a family to me.”

All of the WFEC Youth Tour representatives agree they discovered new things about themselves through their participation in the trip. All of them stated that they gained more respect for our country, more knowledge about its history and the obstacles, trials and tribulations some of our country’s forefathers experienced.

“I believe my favorite thing I saw while in Washington was the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It truly opened my eyes and helped me see all the obstacles African Americans have overcome in America’s history. It was challenging for people of African descent to live in this America and through their perseverance, they were able to prove their worth and showcase their strength,” said White.

The Youth Tour program is open to all 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
State 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.

“The highlight of the trip that I won’t forget is when we were returning on the Potomac River dinner cruise
and seeing the Capitol Building all lit up and it was the focus point on the horizon. It reminded me of the
beauty of America where people go every day to make important decisions about our future,” said Mercer.

If you know someone who will be a junior during the 2022-2023 school year, and think they might be
interested in learning more about Youth Tour, encourage them to contact their school’s guidance counselor or Candace Croft, Communications & Public Relations Coordinator by emailing ccroft@westflorida.coop.

“This trip gave me the opportunity to make new friends from around the country and keep in touch with them to this day. This experience truly is unforgettable and I will carry it with me for years to come and share it with whoever has ears to listen,” said White.