Asia Dukes (from left), Ty Jones, Tessa McCorkle and Donnie Prince.

Responsibility, reverence and sacrifice were words that surfaced repeatedly during a recent youth leadership trip to Washington, D.C. The nation’s capital served as a temporary “home” for Ty Jones, Bainbridge High School; Asia Dukes, Cairo High School; and Tessa McCorkle, Thomas County Central High School; and a fitting reminder of the courage and character of patriots who founded and fought for this country.

Earlier this year, the three were chosen for the June 12-19 Washington Youth Tour. They joined 108 rising high school students from Georgia to learn leadership skills, the need for civic involvement and to immerse themselves in the culture and history of the U.S.

“The students come away with an understanding of the challenges facing the entire nation and gain new insight as to the vision, leadership and sacrifice required to build a better life for themselves, their families and communities,” said Donnie Prince of Grady EMC.

According to Georgia Youth Tour Director Gale Cutler, the purpose of the Youth Tour is to help EMCs promote stronger communities and a stronger nation by giving as many young people as possible the ability and desire to make meaningful, lifelong contributions. Another key component is to teach students to appreciate diverse points of view and accept different social, racial and cultural backgrounds.

Various aspects of the trip, combined with visits to museums, monuments and other historic sites, provided a unique lesson not duplicated in any classroom. Delegates noted with reverence the service and sacrifice of men and women who served the country. Others pointed to historical documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights which left them awed and inspired. Still others remarked that pictures, textbooks and in-class discussions could not adequately convey key periods in history such as the Holocaust and how the tragedy became real for them after time spent at the Holocaust Museum.

According to Cutler, it is common for student ideas and opinions to change following the experience. In fact, following the trip, some students return to consider internships at the Capitol, careers in public service and to reassess their future plans.

Georgia delegates from 2014 plan to pursue degrees in diverse fields such as pastoral studies, medicine, business management, sports broadcasting, political science, computer engineering, biology, chemistry and criminal justice, among others.

The Georgia delegation joined approximately 1,600 of their talented and ambitious peers and 300 chaperones from 43 states.

“We think it’s important to emphasize to the next generation, particularly at this critical time in their lives, that standing up for what you believe in is a real test of courage and conviction,” said Prince.

This year marked Georgia’s biggest group ever —109 students and 16 chaperones sent by 38 of Georgia’s EMCs. The event kicked off with a banquet in Atlanta, emceed by Fox 5 Atlanta’s Beth Galvin, the station’s medical team reporter and a WYT alumnus. The group toured the FDR Little White House in Warm Springs before flying to Washington, D.C.

Other highlights included stops at Arlington Cemetery, as well as the Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., World War II, Vietnam and Korean War memorials. The group also toured the U.S. Capitol, viewed the Declaration of Independence and visited the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian museums.

The students gained perspective on some of today’s important issues and their role as involved citizens during discussions with staff and/ or members of Georgia’s congressional delegation, including personal visits and photos with U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson and U.S. Representatives Lynn Westmoreland, Rob Woodall, Austin Scott, Doug Collins, Paul Broun, Phil Gingrey and John Barrow

Finally, all the state groups convened for National Youth Day, sponsored by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Assoc. to learn from public figures and other inspirational speakers, including Jo Ann Emerson, NRECA’s chief executive officer.

For nearly 50 years, more than 50,000 young citizens have traveled to Washington with the help of their electric cooperative.

Photos from this year’s tour are posted on the national Youth Tour Web site at http://photos.youthtour.org/2014-Youth-Tour/Georgia.

Grady EMC is a member-owned cooperative providing electricity and related services to approximately 13,200 members in Decatur, Grady, and Thomas counties.

Georgia EMC is the statewide trade association representing the state’s 41 EMCs, Oglethorpe Power Corp., Georgia Transmission Corp. and Georgia System Operations Corp. Collectively, Georgia’s customer-owned EMCs provide electricity and related services to more than four million people, half of Georgia’s population, across 73 percent of the state’s land area.