The Washington Youth Tour was an amazing leadership
experience. The places we visited, such as the Supreme Court
and Capitol Hill, allowed me to have an insight into our
government, which I hope to be involved with in the future.
I also enjoyed seeing humbling places like the Arlington
National Cemetery that make me thankful to be an American
and for the men and women who have given their lives for
my freedom. These experiences confirmed my aspirations to
go into the law field to assist in continuing the success of
our country. I am forever thankful to Altamaha EMC and
Georgia EMC.
Jansen Killian, Altamaha EMC Georgia delegate
people, and maybe you’ll find a few like you who want to
be there and want to learn. But on this trip, everyone there
actually cares or they wouldn’t have made it.”
In January each year, Marketing and Communications
Manager for Altamaha EMC, Tammye Vaughn, brings a
presentation on the Washington Youth Tour to schools in
their service territory. Including Vidalia Comprehensive
High School, the presentation is given to juniors and
seniors at Toombs County High School, Robert Toombs
Christian Academy, Vidalia Heritage Academy, Montgomery
County High School, Treutlen High School, East Laurens
High School, Swainsboro High School, ECI, and David
Emanuel Academy. “All ten schools receive the exact same
information,” said Ms. Vaughn, adding, “If there is a student
at a high school that did not attend the presentation but who
is interested, they can still apply.”
After the presentation, students interested in competing
for the scholarship receive a two-page application to be
returned by a certain date accompanied by two letters
of recommendation. “Once these are received,” said Ms.
Vaughn, “I go back to the school and give each one who
applied a study packet that contains the history of rural
electrification in America, the history of Altamaha EMC, and
also information on green power and energy conservation.
Every student who applies, no matter where they go to
school in our service area, receives the exact same study
material.”
Students are given two weeks to study the material. At
the end of two weeks, she returns to administer a written
test. The test is the same for every student. The ten
students who score the highest on the written test advance
to the final level of the selection competition, which is a
personal interview session with a panel of judges made up of
coordinators from other EMC cooperatives. The interview is
held at the Altamaha EMC office during the second or third
week of March. Judges give each student a score based on
the interview, and the score is averaged with their written
test grade.
108 Toombs County Magazine