Beech Tree News Network

Eight local delegates represent co-op on 2026 Washington Youth Tour.

Warren RECC sponsored eight students on the 2026 Washington Youth Tour: Owen Adkins of Logan County High School Evelyn Burdette of Butler County High School, Kaitlyn Coots of Butler County High School, Jana Dickerson of Grayson County High School, Eleanor Dotson of Bowling Green High School, Aaliyah Sejmenovic of Warren County High School, David Thoma Legacey Christian Academy and Lila Whittinghill of Greenwood High School.

The weeklong experience, coordinated by Kentucky Electric Cooperatives and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, brings together rising young leaders from electric cooperative communities to experience American history, civic engagement and the cooperative commitment to community.

The Warren RECC students joined Kentucky delegates for visits to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and George Washington’s Mount Vernon before continuing to Washington, D.C., where they toured the U.S. Capitol, museums and memorials.

For Burdette and Whittinghill, the Holocaust Museum was especially meaningful.

“After reading so many books about it, it truly put into perspective how many lives were affected,” Burdette says. “This experience also helped me see the signs of how it happened and to always speak up when something isn’t right.”

Whittinghill says the museum “really opened my eyes to how broken the world really is.”

Coots says the youth tour influenced the way she thinks about her future.

“It inspired me to keep pushing myself to get where I want in life,” Coots says, “and that it is possible even for big dreams to come true with a hard-working mentality.”

Dickerson says meeting other delegates made a powerful impact.

“When I first arrived, I was worried that the other delegates were going to judge me and not talk to me because I use a wheelchair part of the time,” Dickerson says, “but all of the other delegates were so nice.”

On Capitol Hill, the students were engaged and appreciative of the opportunity to discuss important issues with congressional staff members and U.S. Senator Rand Paul. They spoke up for electric cooperatives, asking about FEMA reform and how to make sure Kentucky co-ops are adequately served by FEMA. They also asked about artificial intelligence and the nation’s future.

The week also included a walking tour of the memorials on the National Mall, stops at the Smithsonian museums, the White House Visitor Center, the World War I Memorial, the Holocaust Museum and the National Air and Space Museum. At Arlington National Cemetery, the students watched the Changing of the Guard and members of the Kentucky delegation laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

“It is a privilege to spend a week in Washington, D.C., with some of Kentucky’s brightest young leaders,” says Mallory Wafzig, the statewide association’s manager of cooperative outreach. “As they walk in the footsteps of our nation’s founders and experience our democracy firsthand, they are inspired to lead, serve, and make a difference in their own communities.”

Wafzig thanked the chaperones who helped lead and support the students throughout the week, notably Warren RECC’s Stephanie Holland and Lori Hardcastle.

Warren RECC Washington Youth Tour delegates Evelyn Burdette and Kailtlyn Coots with fellow delegates at Monticello, the home of President Thomas Jefferson. Photo: Tim Webb