Beauregard Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BECi) sponsors four students to attend Rural Electric Youth Tour in Washington, D.C.
 DeRidder, Louisiana – Four students from the Beauregard Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BECi) service area were among the more than 1,400 high school students from across the country who participated in the Rural Electric Youth Tour held June 17-24, in Washington, D.C. Jennifer Downs and Emily Mistrzak of DeRidder High School, Sara Starling of East Beauregard High School and Jeremiah Johnson of Pitkin High School were selected by the McNeese State University Department of Languages on the basis of writing a formal letter to an elected official, sponsored by BECi.
Each year in June, an activity-filled week affords these high school youths opportunities to learn first-hand what it is like to be involved in politics, community development and today’s social issues. The theme of the 2005 Youth Tour was “Commitment to Community.” Highlights included meeting with their elected representatives in the U.S. House and Senate to discuss the process of government and issues of the day, and increasing their knowledge of cooperative electric utilities and American history.
The Rural Electric Youth Tour has been a joint effort of local electric co-ops, such as Beauregard Electric Co-op, the Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives, and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Arlington, VA.
Emily Mistrzak had the experience of a lifetime working with peers from other states and the NRECA staff during the Washington stay.
“While in Washington, D.C., I met all kinds of people and visited historical monuments, places of government and other educational sites,” she said. “I learned so much about energy, the electric co-op industry and how important it is to our future.
“What I learned while I was on the Youth Tour makes me proud to be an American and to show that America’s young people are involved and care about this country and our communities,” she said.
In addition to taking in the sights and sounds of the nation’s capital, all the state groups convened for Rural Electric Youth Day on June 20 to learn from public figures and other inspirational speakers.
Since 1964, the nation’s cooperative electric utilities have sponsored approximately 38,000 high school juniors and seniors for visits to their U.S. congressional delegations, energy and grassroots government education sessions, and sightseeing in Washington. Beauregard Electric has sponsored 89 students since 1979.
The students in the photo are from left to right: Emily Mistrzak from DeRidder High School, Jeremiah Johnson from Pitkin High School, Jennifer Downs from DeRidder High School and Sara Starling from East Beauregard High School.
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