Licking Valley RECC student, Maddi Conley, represents co-op in Washington

Maddi Conley represented Licking Valley RECC in June on the 2026 Washington Youth Tour, joining rising young leaders from electric cooperative communities across Kentucky for a week of history, government and civic engagement.

Conley, a Morgan County High School senior, was sponsored by Licking Valley RECC on the weeklong experience coordinated by Kentucky Electric Cooperatives and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

The program brings together students from electric cooperative communities to experience American history, civic engagement and the cooperative commitment to community.

“My favorite parts were making new friends, meeting people from across Kentucky and visiting the Holocaust Museum,” Conley says. “Throughout the trip, I learned valuable leadership skills, gained more responsibility and grew as a person. It was an unforgettable experience that I will always be thankful for.”

Conley joined Kentucky delegates for visits to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and George Washington’s Mount Vernon before continuing to Washington, D.C., where students toured the U.S. Capitol, museums and memorials.

On Capitol Hill, the students were engaged and appreciative of the opportunity to discuss important issues with congressional staff members and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul. They spoke up for electric cooperatives, asking about FEMA reform and how to make sure Kentucky co-ops are adequately served by FEMA. They also asked about artificial intelligence and the nation’s future.

During the 2026 Washington Youth Tour, Licking Valley RECC delegate Maddi Conley, left, cheers for Kentucky at NRECA Youth Night. Photo Credit: Tim WebbPhoto Credit: Tim Webb

The week also included a walking tour of the memorials on the National Mall, stops at the Smithsonian museums, the White House Visitor Center, the World War I Memorial, the Holocaust Museum and the National Air and Space Museum.

At Arlington National Cemetery, the students watched the Changing of the Guard and members of the Kentucky delegation laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The ceremony gave students time to reflect on service, sacrifice and the freedoms they were learning about throughout the week.

“It is a privilege to spend a week in Washington, D.C., with some of Kentucky’s brightest young leaders,” says Mallory Wafzig, the statewide association’s manager of cooperative outreach. “As they walk in the footsteps of our nation’s founders and experience our democracy firsthand, they are inspired to lead, serve and make a difference in their own communities.”