CHELCO sends four to Washington, D.C. with Youth Tour

CHELCO's 25th annual Rural Electric Youth Tour competition ended with four area high school juniors winning a trip to Washington, D.C., June 14-19.
The four winners are Navin McGinnis of Freeport High School, Brianna Bikker of The Collegiate High School, and Caitlin Arzaga andChad Engler of Baker High School.
Krista Schumacher of Niceville High School and Tony Rodriguez of South Walton High School were selected as alternates.
Eighteen students representing 11 schools in Okaloosa, Walton and Holmes counties vied for the four winning seats during a competition held April 15 at CHELCO's Operations Center in DeFuniak Springs. Each student had a 10 minutes interview with three judges and also wrote a paper telling why they should be chosen as a CHELCO Youth Tour representative.
All students traveled to Tallahassee April 9 and 10 to visit the capital and legislators, attend a Supreme Court session, and participate in a Congressional Insight program. During the Congressional Insight program, the students learn what a freshman congressman must go through when first arriving on Capitol Hill.
Other students entered in the competition were Cally Roberts and Timothy Camp of Walton High School, Wyndall Johnson and Brittany Lewis of Paxton High School, Alicia Davis of Ponce de Leon High School, Alannah Ward of Freeport High School, Joy Cyr of South Walton High School; Jessica Andrews of Niceville High School, Reid Hester and Annie Walthall of Crestview High School, and Gary Frey and Chris Hinson of Rocky Bayou Christian School.
Katie Pryor participated in a separate competition for the children of co-op employees. She attends Walton High School. Additionally, Curtis McKinion participated in the same competition. He attends The Collegiate High School.
Youth Tour is a national program designed to provide the opportunity for outstanding high school juniors to increase their understanding of electric cooperatives, become more familiar with the historical and political environment of the nation's capital, visit elected officials, and expand their knowledge of cooperatives as a business model.