Memories made on Washington Youth Tour

August 1, 2025
All News
A group of students wearing matching orange T-shirts and blue lanyards with name tags stand in front of the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., with a large fountain, trees, and columns in the background

Gibson Electric Membership Corporation sponsored six local high school students on the Washington Youth Tour, June 14-20, 2025. Students spent the week touring Washington, D.C., learning about electric cooperatives and making new friends.

Each year, Gibson Electric and the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association host a short story creative writing contest to select delegates for the expense-paid trip. Below, they share highlights of the tour.

Claire Evans
Crockett County High School
“The best part of this trip was bonding with my co-op and meeting people from across Tennessee and the country. Going to each monument or museum was even more exciting to tour with new friends. All of us were new to D.C., so we got to explore together and make memories to share for years to come.”

Brian Robertson
Gibson County High School
“My favorite part of the trip was definitely the people. I was surrounded by a bunch of people all trying to make the most out of the trip and it turned out to be an awesome time. I loved every second.”

Catelyn Ripley
Lake County High School
“The best part of the trip was making new friends and memories. I loved seeing the Washington Monument and going to the Museum of the Bible. It was an amazing, unforgettable experience.”

Reese Ulen
Obion County Central High School
“My favorite part of the trip was making new friends and making new memories! I loved going to the Museum of the Bible and seeing the White House! It was truly an unforgettable experience!”

Sophia Harding
Hickman County (Ky.) High School
“My favorite part of the trip was seeing the White House and the Washington Monument in person—it made history feel real. And every time we drove by the Pentagon, it was supposed to be the last time, which made it even more memorable!”

Jaxon Vredingburgh
Peabody High School (At-Large)
“My favorite part about the trip was making memories that’ll last forever. Meeting new friends and even staying up late shaving your head bald just for your trimmers to die halfway through and panic your chaperone.”

 

A group of students wearing matching blue T-shirts and blue lanyards with name tags stand in front of the White House in Washington, D.C.
from left, Reese Ulen, Brian Robertson, Sophia Harding, Jaxon Vredingburgh, Catelyn Ripley, Claire Evans and Sarah Williams at the White House
Chaperone and students wearing matching sage T-shirts take a selfie photo with the reflecting pool and Washington Monument behind them
Sarah Williams with Reese Ulen, Claire Evans, Catelyn Ripley, Sophia Harding, Jaxon Vredingburg and Brian Robertson with the reflecting pool and Washington Monument in the background
Two students wearing matching sage T-shirts flank a large panda statue, pretending to kiss the panda on the cheek, at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
Brian Robertson (left) and Jason Vredingburgh make a new friend at the National Zoo, home to giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao
A group of students wearing raincoats and ponchos stand in the Lincoln Memorial with the statue of President Lincoln sitting on a chair in the background
from left, Reese Ulen, Catelyn Ripley, Sophia Harding, Brian Robertson, Jaxon Vredingburgh and Claire Evans at the Lincoln Memorial
Two male students wearing dress pants, dress shirts and neckties present a colorful wreath to a soldier in dress uniform at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, D.C.
Jaxon Vredingburgh participates in the wreath ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery

Comments are closed.