Indiana Youth Tour takes students out of their comfort zone of rural Indiana and into the museums, memorials, and sights of Washington, D.C.
Noble REMC sponsored two students on the June trip, Jillian Stringfellow and Kennedy Gerard, who traveled east to learn about public service, our country’s history, and the electric cooperative story.
A delegation of approximately 60 Indiana students represented our state’s electric cooperatives, alongside thousands of students from across the country, while spending a week visiting numerous memorials and museums, participating in a youth rally hosted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and spending time on Capitol Hill.
However, it may be best to hear from our delegates about what sets this trip apart:
JILLIAN STRINGFELLOW, CENTRAL NOBLE HIGH SCHOOL
Youth Tour expanded my comfort zone in many ways. For instance, the longest I’d been away from home was a four-day trip with my family. So, going on a week-long trip, multiple states away from my family, was a learning experience.
On Youth Tour, you meet tons of people, sometimes so many your social battery hits an all-time low, but that is not a bad thing. These new people may be from different states or maybe the next county over. No matter where they are from, you can have a lasting connection with them. I personally became part of a group of six, four girls and two guys. It was probably the third day that we started really talking, but when we did, there was nothing that could stop the connection from being formed.
They are some of the coolest people I have ever met, and I am so glad that the Indiana Youth Tour brought us together. They are just a few of the people I bonded with over the trip. I also connected with many of our chaperones, our bus drivers, and other people who were on the trip with us. Every one of them has left a mark that I will never forget.
The trip was also filled with many different stops, most historical, but some were strictly to meet new people. We visited many of the museums throughout Washington, D.C., like the National Archives and Mount Vernon, plus many more.
We also visited some on the way there and back like Gettysburg, the Flight 93 Memorial, and the National Air and Space Museum. All of the places we went had something for everyone. I learned a lot through all the places we visited and experiences we had.
If you are thinking about applying for this trip, you will have an unlimited amount of fun. How you have that fun is up to you, whether it's through laughing with the people you are surrounded by or just enjoying the experiences — it is so much fun.
Apply in your junior year and see the difference you can make for your life and the people around you!
KENNEDY GERARD, EAST NOBLE HIGH SCHOOL
I had the amazing opportunity to go to Washington, D.C., through our electric cooperative, Noble REMC!
On the way to Washington, I got to tour Gettysburg and see the fields where many of the battles occurred, as well as visit the Flight 93 Memorial.
When we did arrive to D.C., we visited the Iwo Jima War Memorial, where we watched the United States Marine Corps Band. Then, we went to Capitol Hill and had the awesome opportunity to talk with Sen. Todd Young. That same day, we also went to the Supreme Court and spent the evening on a boat cruise with delegates from other states!
Next, we went to Mount Vernon, where we toured President George Washington’s mansion. Some other places we visited were the National Mall, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Holocaust Museum, and the Museum of National Archives, where I saw the Declaration of Independence. Crazy!
The thing that I loved most was going to Capitol Hill! I really enjoyed walking through it. We got to see bits and pieces of the House of Representatives’ side and the Senate’s side. It was really intriguing to hear about the paintings and sculptures inside.
Personally, I really loved seeing and hearing about the Portrait Monument, which is a women’s suffrage sculpture that has the faces of Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony carved in it. My group found out that it will not be fully finished until we have our first female president.
That same day we got to talk to Sen. Young. I did not ask any questions, but loved how well he answered others’ questions and his concern for them as well.
Again, I am so grateful to have been able to go on this trip! It was truly an unforgettable experience.