Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898
Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898
Local students in D.C. with MLEC
Pictured, from left, Chaperone Mike Orton, students Aiydan Parchman, Dylan Wolk, Knox Einerson, and Mercie Ashmore with MLEC's Dawn Orton.
Four students representing Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative spent a week in the nation's capital last week as delegates of the 2022 Washington Youth Tour. Mercie Ashmore from Lewis County, Knox Einerson from Humphreys County, Aiydan Parchman of Houston County, and Dylan Wolk of Hickman County joined other Tennessee students on the weeklong trip that began on Friday, June 17. Dawn Orton, MLEC member relations coordinator, served as a chaperone with other Tennessee cooperative representatives.
The annual event, sponsored by MLEC and the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association, provides young leaders with an opportunity to explore the nation's capital, learn about government and cooperatives and develop their leadership skills. Students were selected for the trip by writing short stories titled "Electric Cooperatives – Building a Brighter Tennessee" that explain how co-ops like MLEC are investing in the future of the communities they serve.
"These young people are the future leaders of our region," says MLEC President and CEO Keith Carnahan. "The Youth Tour is a unique opportunity for them to experience history and public policy up-close and personal, and to develop leadership skills and knowledge that will serve our communities for years to come."
The group was welcomed to the U.S. Capitol by Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty. Representative Mark Green also met with students and answered questions.
"An investment in these young people is also an investment in the communities we serve," said David Callis, CEO of the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association. "These are exceptional students, and our hope is that their youth tour experience empowers them to return home and make a difference in their communities."
President Lyndon Johnson inspired the Washington Youth Tour in 1957 when he encouraged electric cooperatives to send youngsters to the nation's capital. In the years since, more than 6,000 young Tennesseans have been delegates on the Washington Youth Tour.
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