Aedan McLennan will join eight other students from the PEC distribution area on the all-expenses paid trip to the nation’s capital, where they will meet lawmakers, visit historical sites, and learn about U.S. history and how the American government works firsthand.
More than 120 students applied to represent PEC on the trip. The 10 selected will join over 150 Texas delegates representing their electric cooperatives. Students from across the nation will be in attendance.
The PEC application process included an essay about an invention or development students would create to do good for their community or to share their thoughts on whether lineworkers should be considered first responders. Applicants who scored highest on their essays were selected for interviews. An independent panel determined the final delegates.
President Lyndon B. Johnson developed the idea for Youth Tour in 1957. He was also instrumental in forming PEC and bringing electricity to the Texas Hill Country.
“As PEC celebrates 85 years of delivering safe, reliable power to its members, the cooperative is honored to continue LBJ’s legacy,” said Celeste Mikeska, PEC senior Community Outreach specialist. “Youth programs are part of our cooperative difference, and we look forward to sending these deserving students on a trip of a lifetime to inspire a new generation of leaders.”