Youth Tour Trip to DC Inspires Students

Cooperative-sponsored week in Washington proves to be trip of a lifetime for teens

Jolenne Pasillas from Sonora High School and Ayla Doran from Eldorado are back home from the 2024 Government-in-Action Youth Tour, and the experience is surely one they will never forget. The weeklong trip, sponsored by Southwest Texas Electric Cooperative, took the local students on a whirlwind adventure in Washington, D.C., which they described as “life-changing.”

For Jolenne and Ayla’s June trip to the nation’s capital, they joined more than 150 peers from all over the state for a guided, all-expenses-paid tour that even a seasoned tourist would envy. They explored monuments and museums, including Mount Vernon; the Smithsonian Institution; the Holocaust Memorial Museum; and the Lincoln, Jefferson, and Vietnam Veterans memorials, among others. They also took a cruise on the Potomac River and joined more than 1,900 other teens from across the country for a day of inspiring speakers and learning about the role of electric cooperatives.

The Texas delegates spent time at Arlington National Cemetery and attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They even had the opportunity to meet their elected representatives on Capitol Hill.

After a week of sightseeing and education in Washington, Jolenne said she was most impressed by Mount Vernon and the war memorials.

“We saw many awesome historical places, but I loved Mount Vernon. To see the home where George Washington lived and even the bed where he breathed his last breath on earth was such an unreal experience. Just the view from the footsteps of his house looking over the Potomac River was breathtaking. Then his gardens, flowers, and all the different kinds of trees. Being from West Texas, I’ve never seen something like that before. I also liked visiting various war memorials such as the Vietnam War Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the World War II Memorial. You always hear about freedom not being free, but when you're there and see all the names on the walls, it's truly humbling and puts many things in perspective. Jolenne said.

Ayla agreed that this week has been a trip of a lifetime.

“Going into this trip, I kept hearing everyone talk about how this would be a “trip of a lifetime” and you know, it was. Meeting numerous youth tour participants nationwide and experiencing iconic buildings and monuments was amazing! My favorite part of the trip was our visit to the Capitol Hill. We received a tour of the U.S. Capitol Building from a staffer of U.S. Congressman Tony Gonzales, and we even had the opportunity to step onto the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. We see it so many times whether the State of The Union Speech or an important vote in the House of Representatives, it is just hard to believe we were standing in there where our government happens. This was a trip of a lifetime! Ayla said.

For more information about Youth Tour, visit texasyouthtour.com or contact Neil Cooper, SWTEC’s Youth Tour coordinator

Picture Caption: 2024 Youth Tour Participants Jolenne Pasillas and Ayla Doran standing in front of the United States Capitol in Washington D.C.