Great Lakes Energy sends local students to Washington.

July 26, 2016
Six high school students represented electric cooperative Great Lakes Energy at the Rural Electric Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. June 11-16, 2016. Attending the event were (L to R) Cody DeVries, Alex Mason, Spencer Joles, Marie Groenink, Morgan Graeber and Daly Narmore.

Six high school students represented electric cooperative Great Lakes Energy at the Rural Electric Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. June 11-16, 2016. Attending the event were (L to R) Cody DeVries, Alex Mason, Spencer Joles, Marie Groenink, Morgan Graeber and Daly Narmore.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Six students representing Great Lakes Energy Cooperative were among 1,700 high school students who attended the June 11-16 Youth Tour hosted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) in Washington, DC.

Those attending from Great Lakes Energy included Cody DeVries of New Era, Daly Narmore of Custer, Morgan Graeber of St. Joseph, Marie Groenink of Ellsworth, Spencer Joles of Boyne City, and Alex Mason of Elmira. Students met with their elected officials, engaged in leadership training and bonded with students from electric co-ops all across the country.

NRECA initiated Youth Tour after Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson suggested to co-op leaders at an NRECA annual meeting that they “send youngsters to the nation’s capital where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents.” The tradition of sending students to D.C. continues each June.

Previous Youth Tour participants have become university presidents, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and members of Congress. In fact, Apple CEO Tim Cook credited Youth Tour with his first trip to Washington in his commencement speech to graduates of George Washington University in 2015. Over the past 51 years, nearly 50,000 students have visited Washington through Youth Tour.

Eligible students of Great Lakes Energy members can apply for the 2017 Youth Tour later this year.

Great Lakes Energy is a consumer-owned business providing electric service to over 120,000 members in parts of 26 counties along the west side of Michigan’s lower peninsula.

Six high school students represented electric cooperative Great Lakes Energy at the Rural Electric Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. June 11-16, 2016. Attending the event were (L to R) Cody DeVries, Alex Mason, Spencer Joles, Marie Groenink, Morgan Graeber and Daly Narmore.

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