WEWAHITCHKA – Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative recently held its annual Washington, D. C. Youth Tour Contest at the Honeyville Community Center in Wewahitchka.
Each year, the Cooperative sponsors the contest for high school juniors whose parents or guardians are members of Gulf Coast Electric. Contestants are interviewed by a panel of three judges from the electric cooperative industry, and two winners are chosen to travel on an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D. C. in June, where they join other eleventh-grade students from all over the United States to tour our nation’s capitol.
Local civic organizations and high schools play an important role in the contest, as they nominate the students who vie for the trip. This year’s contestants were: Billy Bradley, representing Deane Bozeman School; Joshua Causey, representing the Scotts Ferry Volunteer Fire Department; Tessa Daniels, representing Blountstown High School; Tanner Harden, representing the Stone Mill Creek Volunteer Fire Department; Hunter Hysmith, representing the Wewahitchka Ambulance Service; Becky Jenks, representing the Kinard Volunteer Fire Department; Jonathan Palmer, representing the Dalkeith Volunteer Fire Department; Alex Paul, representing the Wewahitchka Fire Department; Mallory Peak, representing Wewahitchka High School; Carla Peavy, representing Wewahitchka Search and Rescue; Samantha Potter, representing Altha Public School; Ashleigh Price, representing the Overstreet Volunteer Fire Department; Lexi Rudd, representing the Mossy Pond Volunteer Fire Department; Pete Setterich, representing the Wetappo Creek Volunteer Fire Department; Jay Smith, representing the Wewahitchka Woman’s Club; and Deannah Sullivan, representing the Howard Creek Volunteer Fire Department.
This year’s winners are Billy Bradley and Lexi Rudd. Alternate is Mallory Peak.
In addition to the Washington, D. C. trip, Gulf Coast Electric takes all of the students nominated to compete in the contest on a two-day trip to Tallahassee. There they tour various sites in Tallahassee with other eleventh-grade participants representing electric cooperatives across the state. While in Tallahassee, the students visited the Challenger Learning Center, where they observed an electromagnetic demonstration and watched an IMAX 3D movie, Space Junk. They also participated in a mock Supreme Court hearing and a mock session in the House Chambers. The students also enjoyed dining at various restaurants and a visit to Fun Station.
“The Youth Tour Contest is a great opportunity for us to reward local students for being outstanding leaders in their communities,” GCEC Manager of Marketing and Communication Kristin Evans said.
The Washington, D. C. Youth Tour Program has been in existence since 1957 when co-ops sent students to Washington, D. C. to work during the summer. By 1964, the program was catching on, and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association began to coordinate the efforts of the co-ops. Since then, thousands of young people have experienced this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit our nation’s capitol and learn about our government.
Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative is part of the Touchstone Energy® national alliance of local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives providing high standards of service to customers large and small. Approximately 70 employees serve more than 20,000 meters and 2,500 miles of line in Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Jackson, Walton and Washington counties and in the municipalities of Wewahitchka, Ebro, Lynn Haven, White City, Fountain and Southport.