Two area students will head to Washington, D.C. this week on an all-expenses-paid trip, sponsored by San Patricio Electric Cooperative.

Emily Carabajal and Timothy Kroschk, both high school seniors at A.C. Jones High School in Beeville, entered and won the co-op’s essay contest earlier this year for a chance to attend the Government-in-Action Youth Tour, June 8–17.

Every year in June, electric co-ops across the country send outstanding local high school students to the nation’s capital. Participants and chaperones visit the city’s monuments and historical sites; meet with elected officials to witness their government in action; and learn about the cooperative business model.

Carabajal and Kroschk will join 127 Texas high school students and more than 1,700 teens from co-ops across the country for a week of sightseeing and new experiences.

Youth Tour was established with one thought in mind: to inspire our next generation of leaders. Since the 1960s, more than 50,000 young Americans have taken advantage of this special opportunity offered by their electric cooperatives.

So much more than a sightseeing trip, Youth Tour allows students to meet others from all over the country and return home with a deeper understanding of themselves, the world and what it takes to be leaders—and they often put their newly acquired skills to use right here in their home community.

SPEC sends two students to Youth Tour each year, covering the cost of airfare, accommodations, meals and entrance fees to all attractions. SPEC’s Youth Tour contest was open to high school juniors and seniors in the co-op’s nine-county service area, whose parents are members of the co-op. Applicants were required to have a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. To enter, students had to fill out a short application and answer the essay question, “how does electricity affect your life?”