Outage Map
Walking the hallowed grounds of Mount Vernon and exploring famous memorials around Washington, D.C., can leave a lasting impression on a visitor. This year’s Central Electric Cooperative Washington, D.C., Youth Tour delegate Atticus Lau is no different.
Atticus, a senior at Realms High School in Bend, describes this trip of a lifetime as a memorable experience, allowing him to learn more about our nation’s history in person and through the eyes of his peers.
“I think going through the entire trip with everyone else in my (Oregon and California) group made it much more interesting than any personal or family trip,” he says. “It really made it the Youth Tour.”
15 students from cooperatives throughout Oregon and California comprised his tour group. Atticus says he enjoyed exploring the city with his fellow delegates, learning more about the students and discovering different facets of our nation’s history.
With tours around famous landmarks such as Arlington National Cemetery, Capitol Hill, the Holocaust Museum, and the Smithsonian, Atticus says one of his favorite destinations was a museum that paid homage to one of our military branches.
“For me, the most interesting destination had to be the Marines Museum,” he says. “Specifically, because they had so many cool things there, and they documented lots of technological advancements.”
A new sense of gratitude started to bloom throughout the long days of visiting monuments, museums, and memorials.
“I definitely appreciate our nation’s history more because there has been a lot of sacrifice by a lot of people, and I especially appreciate this because lots of the rights and privileges I enjoy—along with countless others—are owed to them,” Atticus says.
A tour of Arlington National Cemetery gave Atticus a moment to pause and reflect on the sacrifices countless men and women made.
“Everywhere we went, there were white grave makers as far as the eye could see, aside from the trees,” he says. “In one of my photos with the grave makers, if you look in the very back it looks like the ground itself is white, which really puts everything into scale.”
Another impressionable experience was the day the students toured Capitol Hill and met with Oregon’s representatives’ staff; visited the Library of Congress, where the students got an official library card; and toured the Capitol.
“For my favorite moment, I am picking the Capitol Hill tour because we got to go inside, see how everything works, and hang out there,” Atticus says.
Many past Youth Tour delegates describe the weeklong trip as a life-changing experience. It was no different for Atticus, who, upon reflection, shares that his involvement in the entire process helped him grow professionally and gave him a deeper appreciation for his country.
“From the very start of the application process to the interview, the trip, and the presentation I made to the board of directors, this might have been the most professional thing I have done so far in my life,” he says. “(This) has already made an impact from the start and furthermore, applying for and winning a free D.C. trip unexpectedly, going on it and seeing a bunch of stuff with a bunch of people my age will be something I will always remember.”
Atticus says he would recommend this trip to any high school junior.
“If you are considering applying, why not?” he says. “Aside from some time to prepare for the application, essay, and interview, it is an all-expense paid trip, and you get to see so many things in Washington, D.C., and meet a bunch of great people.
“On top of that, writing the essay, going through the interview process, and giving presentations have all helped me grow as a person.”