I attended the Washington Youth Tour
in . This trip opened my young eyes to
the impactful role of our elected officials
well beyond the borders of Toombs County.
A year after my WYT trip, I found myself
back in Washington, DC, on Capitol Hill
as a Communications Department intern
at the Repuplican National Convention.
After that, I spent the summer of at
the Georgia State Capitol as an intern for
Governor Perdue.
After graduating from The University
of Georgia in , seeking a job in politics
just wasn’t the path I wanted to take. I
also thought that moving back to Vidalia
wasn’t in my cards. I was wrong on both
accounts. I moved back to Vidalia in to
open a small business and then got elected
to Vidalia City Council in .
When I moved back to Toombs County
as an adult at age , I realized that our
community was special. It took a little
maturing, moving away, and seeing politics
on a bigger stage in order to appreciate
our local government and local leaders,
especially those who are not elected. This
appreciation is what led me to run for city
council. Experiencing Washington, DC,
through the WYT is truly what sparked my
interest in politics. I am sincerely thankful
to the Altamaha EMC for continuing to
provide high school students this same
opportunity.
Kailey Dees
Altamaha EMC Georgia delegate
said Kenlee. “We had Georgia Peach stickers. You try to meet as
many different people from as many different states as you can
and get their pins or stickers to put on your bag. It was great.
I made friends with other delegates from all over the United
States.”
That day delegates visited the Smithsonian Institution’s 11
museums and galleries on the National Mall. “In the National
Gallery of Art, I got to see Leonardo da Vinci’s Ginevra de’
Benci,” said Kenlee. “This was his only painting in America, so it
was a privilege to have the opportunity to see such a renowned
artist’s work.” The day ended with a river boat dinner on the
Potomac.
On day four, delegates toured the Supreme Court. “We
went into the Supreme Court, and a tour guide talked about
the different Supreme Court justices and judges. When the tour
ended, we walked to the Newseum. The Newseum is a museum
that follows the history of communication. They have all the
different news stories for the day on the walls. There’s also a
‘mock’ news desk set up where you can go in front of an actual
camera and microphone and choose a White House background
or Capitol Hill background. You read the script as it plays as if
you are a news reporter. It was really cool,” said Kenlee.
Following the Newseum, delegates toured the Washington
National Cathedral. “All the artwork and architecture was crazy.
One of the windows that displayed part of the creation story
actually had a piece of the moon in it that astronauts brought
back for them. I didn’t expect it to be so cool.”
From the cathedral, delegates observed the sunset parade,
“which is actually not a parade after all,” said Kenlee. “It’s a
demonstration by the Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps and
Silent Drill Platoon.”
On the last day of the Washington Youth Tour, delegates
toured the Capitol. It just so happened to also be the morning
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was shot while practicing
for the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity.
“Eventually, we were able to take the guided tour through the
main areas of the Capitol,” said Kenlee. “We had a pass to go
into the Library of Congress and a House and Senate pass,
which allowed us to go in and sit in the balcony while they
were in session. We got to see Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz, Marco
Rubio–all those people you saw on TV running for President.”
The Washington Youth Tour was everything Kenlee was
told it would be and more. Most importantly, she was able
to meet many others just like herself from across the United
States, young people determined to become leaders in this
great country of ours. Not a day goes by that Kenlee doesn’t get
a message from one of her new friends. “They were right,” she
said. “I will never be the same after the Washington Youth Tour.”
Every morning before school, Kenlee pours herself a cup
of coffee and sits in front of the TV to watch Fox News. “One
morning, my mama said, ‘Kenlee, you look like a grandma.’”
Kenlee smiled. She didn’t mind. She now knows that she is
not alone in her belief that she can make a difference. In
fact, her “ultimate goal” is to one day become Chief Advisor
to the President. It’s a goal Altamaha EMC and other electric
membership cooperatives give America’s youth the opportunity
to believe. TCM
For more information, visit www.altamahaemc.com or contact
Ms. Vaughn at 912-526-2120.
112 Toombs County Magazine