By Josh P. Crotzer
Washington, D.C., might seem like a world away from small-town Gaffney. But for a teenaged Veronica Worthington, a trip to the nation’s capital a decade ago opened a window to a new world of possibilities — a world where she’d eventually be making a difference in communities across the nation and have the ability to travel across continents.
“I remember feeling very proud and excited,” says Worthington, who was selected in 2015 to represent Broad River Electric Cooperative on Washington Youth Tour when she was a rising senior at Gaffney High School. She joined dozens of rising seniors from across the state on the all-expenses-paid experience.
“It was an awesome opportunity,” Worthington says, “because having to pay for a trip like that would not have been a reality for me and my family.”
The trip didn’t disappoint. Over the week, the South Carolina student delegates met lawmakers, toured historical sites, visited museums and went on a riverboat cruise on the Potomac River.
It also provided Worthington with a new perspective. Although she was accompanied by other students and chaperones, Worthington reflects that the trip was pivotal to her sense of independence and self-reliance.
“The trip opened my eyes to more of the world and the kind of issues that are out there,” she says. “It was my first experience being exposed to so many different people at once. It was kind of scary at first—it was the first time I’d been on my own—but it showed me that I could do it.”
After high school, Worthington attended Winthrop University and was selected for the Robert E. McNair post-baccalaureate Achievement program, which prepares first-generation college students for doctoral studies by involving them in research and other scholarly activities. Worthington earned her master’s degree in social work from the University of Illinois.
Today, Worthington, 26, works for Public Policy Associates, a research and evaluation firm that serves clients in the public, private and nonprofit sectors at the national, state and local levels. Her work aids in achieving the most from social programs and policies in areas such as education, criminal justice, food systems, childcare and housing.
“My work specifically is related to education, food systems and access to childcare,” says Worthington. “We provide research and data that can help them develop their programs and policies as well as inform and influence legislators.”
She has spent the last year traveling in Central America, learning more about local cultures, working on her Spanish speaking skills and volunteering for local environmental initiatives. The well-traveled Washington Youth Tour alumnus will be back in Central and South America, possibly in Colombia, this year. She plans to continue learning and engaging with communities both at home and abroad, with the eventual goal of pursuing a Ph.D. She’s at a place in life she “never would have thought” she would be 10 years ago.
“I’m so fortunate and lucky to be living the life that I live,” Worthington says. “Washington Youth Tour jump-started me into thinking about ways I wanted to contribute and that there is a whole world out there. It’s a great opportunity that can influence that path you might go next.”
WANT TO APPLY?
BREC will sponsor a local high school junior for the 2025 Washington Youth Tour, June 15–20.
The co-op will also sponsor a local high school sophomore for Cooperative Youth Summit, a four-day leadership experience in July.
The application deadline is Friday, Feb. 28, and you may apply online today.