Taylon Knorpp of Clarendon and Grace Kiker of Wellington journeyed to Washington, DC, June 8-17, courtesy of Greenbelt Electric Cooperative.
The all-expense paid trip was part of Texas rural electric cooperatives’ Government-in-Action Youth Tour, during which students visited national landmarks and met their congressional representatives.
US Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) said of the 15 young people making the journey from District 13: “Being around such bright young students increases my confidence in the leaders of tomorrow we have coming out of Texas.”
Knorpp, who will be a senior at Clarendon High School this fall, said the journey was “the trip of a lifetime” and said that he made great friends with the other students from Texas.
“We began viewing the beautiful monuments erected to commemorate the most important people in United States history,” Knorpp said. “We stood where MLK gave his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. We stood at the base and awed at the gigantic Jefferson, Washington, and Lincoln memorials. We walked through in amazement at Washington’s home on Mount Vernon and the Smithsonians. We relished in the pure history radiating from the Declaration of Independence in the National Archives.
“And my personal favorite was the Arlington Cemetery, where we were able to witness the Changing of the Guards and the Wreath Laying Ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown soldier. That compiled with the grave sites of the Kennedy family, and the rows upon rows of white headstones for all of the soldiers who have died serving our country was truly a humbling and unforgettable experience.
“By the end of the trip, I couldn’t imagine living life without all of the beautiful people I befriended on Youth Tour, and I will never forget all of the breathtaking sights I was fortunate enough to see with my own eyes. I am beyond grateful to Greenbelt Electric for allowing me this opportunity. I don’t care how how cliché it may sound now, the only accurate way to describe Youth Tour is by saying it is the trip of a lifetime.”
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