Youth tour students reflect on history and friendship

Jackson Energy sponsored four students on the 2026 Washington Youth Tour: Billi Brandenburg of Lee County High School, Sawyer Renfro of Owsley County High School, Greedan Tincher of North Laurel High School and Jaylynn Wells of Jackson County High School.

The weeklong experience, coordinated by Kentucky Electric Cooperatives and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, brings together rising young leaders from electric cooperative communities to experience American history, civic engagement and the cooperative commitment to community.

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

“The most meaningful place I visited in Washington, D.C., was the Holocaust Museum,” Wells says. “This part of the tour was especially important to me because when I was younger, my great-aunt by marriage shared her experiences living through the end of the Holocaust.”

Wells says visiting the museum helped her better understand what so many people endured.

“Visiting the museum allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the horrific events so many people endured and gave me an opportunity to honor her memory,” Wells says.

Renfro summed up one of his favorite memories simply: “Bus 2.” Throughout the week, those bus rides became part of the experience, giving students time to meet one another, share stories and build friendships between official stops.

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.

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.

“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.”