CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2009 YOUTH TOUR WINNERS!!!

Suwannee Valley Electric wishes to congratulate Brandi Bethea and Tyrel Clayton as this years, Annual Youth Tour winners of an all expense paid trip to Washington D. C. Brandi and Tyrel will be flying to Washington on June 13th to spend six days with other Youth Tour Winners. Brandi is a Junior at Lafayette High School and the Daughter of Nelson and Michelle Ezell of Mayo. Tyrel is a Junior at Suwannee High School and the Son of Carl and Tammy Clayton of Live Oak. Both Brandi and Tyrel qualified to test for the Washington Tour by being selected by their respective High Schools, to attend Suwannee Valley Electric’s Annual Youth Tour to Tallahassee, on February 11-12, 2009.

On the first day of the Tallahassee Tour, along with Joseph Demarias from Lafayette High School, Sandra Wainwright from Suwannee High School and Jarrett Bass from Branford High School, they were tested on the statistics and history of Suwannee Valley Electric. Brandi and Tyrel scored the highest marks for their knowledge of these subjects. In June, with other Florida Students from across the State, they will tour Washington and meet with other Cooperative Winners.

(left to right) Jarrett Bass-Branford High School,

Sandra Wainwright-Suwannee High School,

Brandi Bethea-Lafayette High School,

Tyrel Clayton-Suwannee High School, and

Joseph Demarias-Representing Lafayette High School

Click here for Youth Tour National Link Video!!!

About the Washington D.C. Youth Tour

Each year, Suwannee Valley Electric sends two high school students from its service area as delegates on the Washington Youth Tour. These students join dozens of other Florida students to represent our state in Washington D.C.—all expenses paid! During this extremely busy week, students receive a history lesson not taught in any textbook. Through the long-standing commitment of the nation’s electric cooperatives, the annual Washington Youth Tour has sent tens of thousands of high school juniors  to Washington, D.C. to experience firsthand the workings of the Federal Government.

The Washington Youth Tour highlights will include cruising down the Potomac River, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery, touring the U.S. Supreme Court, the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, Mount Vernon, the National Cathedral and Ford’s Theatre. The group will visit memorials honoring FDR, Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington, World War II, the Vietnam War and the Korean War. They will also watch the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and the Silent Drill Platoon perform at the Iwo Jima Memorial. Museums to be explored include the Smithsonian Institution and the Holocaust Museum.

SVEC sponsors eight students  to tour the State Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida.  In the day long trip, the students will meet Florida Representatives from around the state.  They cap off the day by spending an enjoyable evening on the town.  From the eight students, SVEC will choose two students to represent the cooperative during the Youth Tour in Washington D.C.!

To Qualify:

• Each participant must be an “actively enrolled” junior in Suwannee High, Branford High, Hamilton  High, or Lafayette High: two students from each school are selected for the Tallahassee State Capitol Tour

• The student must have a 3.0 GPA  &  highly motivated.

Contest Rules

• You cannot be a previous winner

• Follow the contest rules

• All applicants will receive a study packet on topics related to rural electrification, followed by a written test on the study packet material.

• The top 2 test scorers will be selected to make the trip to Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON YOUTH TOUR OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSES

• To educate youth on all aspects of rural electrification in order to promote a better understanding of the value of rural electric cooperatives.

• To provide an opportunity for youth to visit monuments, government buildings and cooperative-related organizations in order to become familiar with the historical and political environment of our nation’s capital.

• To provide an opportunity for our youth to meet elected officials in order to better understand how our federal government works.

for more information, please contact Patty Kwiatkowski at pattyk@svec-coop.com or 386-362-2226 ext 5617