Broad River Electric Cooperative will be sending two local students to our nation’s capital this weekend to be a part of the 55th Washington Youth Tour.
Collin Cash of Chesnee and Anna McBee of Gaffney are among an outstanding group of rising high school seniors from
across the country who will depart for Washington, D.C., to learn about our government, electric cooperatives, leadership and friendship.
Cash attends Chesnee High School where he is a member of the National Honors Society and a SC Teacher Cadet. He also is a member of the Chesnee High marching band, orchestra, and concert choir.
McBee attends Oakbrook Preparatory Academy where she is on the soccer team. She active in her community, helping with an afterschool program, Meals on Wheels, and the local children’s home.
“We are proud to have these exceptional young leaders represent our cooperative and our community,” said Terry Mallard, President and CEO of Broad River Electric. “In addition to being a great experience for these students, it is an opportunity for us to invest in the future and ensure that cooperative principles like community, education and democracy are carried on.”
The tour is coordinated by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina (ECSC). Local electric cooperatives select students who represent their service area as well as the entire state of South Carolina.
During the tour, delegations of students follow state-planned itineraries, which include time with their state’s Congressional delegation. The students learn more about government, the cooperative form of business and the
the business of rural electrification.
South Carolina’s electric cooperatives have participated in the Washington Youth Tour since 1968. In 2019, 72 students and eight chaperones are participating.