Fredericksburg, Va. — On Monday, June 19, five high school students from across Rappahannock Electric Cooperative’s (REC) service area hopped on a double-decker bus headed to Washington, D.C. They knew they were going into a long week with a mix of educational outings as well as some fun experiences. But they weren’t aware of how memorable of a week it would be.

After a three-year hiatus from Washington, D.C., due to the pandemic, the annual Cooperative Youth Tour returned, and it was packed with chances for students to connect, learn and have once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

REC’s five students—Colson Hollins, Cayson Hollins and Mark Sprouse of Louisa; Onyx Wolfe of Spotsylvania County; and Iby Urrutia of Winchester—spent the week learning about Cooperatives and how they work with the federal government, making friends with other students attending with the Virginia, Maryland and Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives and seeing all that D.C. has to offer.

“Each state has a pin, and you want to trade with students from other states,” explained Onyx. “I really enjoyed doing that, talking to other students and learning about the differences and similarities in where we’re from.”

The students enjoyed a dinner riverboat cruise on the first night, allowing them to connect and get to know one another. Throughout the week, they toured Arlington National Cemetery, the memorials along the National Mall and the Capitol. They also attended a baseball game at Nationals Park and the opening night of “Lion King” at the Kennedy Center.

Interested in becoming a lineman, Mark enjoyed learning about cooperatives and connecting with other students.

“I learned pretty quick that there are cooperatives everywhere,” he said. “Between the bus rides and all of the activities, I’ve made a lot of new friends from other Virginia and Maryland cooperatives.”

While at the Capitol, REC’s students got to meet with Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger. Matthew Myers, a former REC Youth Tour student who now works for the American Farm Bureau, joined the group. They also met with a legislative aid for Congressman Ben Cline and learned about her role and responsibilities and how she decided on her career path.

“I really enjoyed getting to talk to everyone at the Capitol,” Iby said. “I’m actually interested in going that route, so it was neat to hear about what they do.”

Despite their different backgrounds and interests, all five students strongly encourage other students to apply to attend the program. Open to rising high school seniors in REC’s service area, applications for the 2024 Youth Tour are open and can be found at https://myrec.coop/youthtour.   

REC provides electric service to over 175,000 connections in parts of 22 Virginia counties. With its general office in Fredericksburg, Va., the Cooperative operates and maintains more than 18,000 miles of power lines through its service area, which ranges from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay. For more information about REC, please visit www.myrec.coop. Follow REC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.