A Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventure Awaits River Valley Juniors

All area high school juniors whose parents/guardians are Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative (AVECC) members were eligible to apply. Each applicant attended an in-person interview at the AVECC Headquarters in Ozark for a chance to win this trip of a lifetime, and the competition was high. 

The 2025 Arkansas Valley Electric Youth Tour delegates are:

Allison Ober, Lamar High School

I am definitely most excited to see Mount Vernon. I've always wanted to visit, and it's number one on my bucket list. The fact that I have the opportunity to go, expense-free, and meet so many amazing new people is really cool. The knowledge and experiences that can be gained from this trip are truly unobtainable from a textbook, or classroom and can be used to better my community and myself.

Allison's extracurricular actives include ETS (Education Talent Search), History Club, Spanish Club, CSU ( Christian Student Union), Varsity Sr. High Girls Basketball Player, Varsity Sr. High Softball Manager, and Beta Club. Allison looks forward to potentially pursuing a career in law.

Phoebe Hopper, Magazine High School

On Youth Tour, I hope to learn more about our country's history, how our law-making processes work, and the culture in Washington, D.C. I'm excited to see all the buildings and architecture. Since finding out I get to go, I even changed my laptop background to a picture of the Supreme Court building, looking up at the columns and the roof. 

Phoebe's extracurricular activities include BETA club, FBLA, 4-H, High School Heroes, Choir, Cross Country, and Track. Phoebe looks forward to earning her PhD and becoming a professor. 

Elysia Cox, Scranton High School

I am absolutely ecstatic about going to Washington, D.C. Receiving the acceptance phone call felt like the moment after working hard for something and finally experiencing the relief and excitement of achieving it. I am really looking forward to seeing how everything works, and visiting the monuments.

Elysia's extracurricular activities include FFA and horse judging. She aspires to be a physical therapy assistant.

These remarkable students will represent AVECC and the River Valley on the 2025 Youth Tour, an all-expenses-paid educational trip to Washington, D.C., and for the first year: Philadelphia. The trip will take place June 14-20, 2025. Each participant will receive a $500 scholarship from AVECC, possibly earning an additional $5,000 scholarship from the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas (AECC).

Youth Tour is a leadership-oriented program designed to help students engage with their community and local electric cooperative. As representatives of AVECC, these students will join peers representing electric cooperatives nationwide in Washington, D.C., to explore the rich history of our nation.

During the trip, they will have the opportunity to meet with Arkansas' congressional delegation and visit landmark sites such as Mount Vernon, the Liberty Bell the Smithsonian Institution, Arlington National Cemetery, and the U.S. Capitol.

At its core, Youth Tour is a grassroots campaign to bring awareness to the endless opportunities available to the next generation of rural leaders. Allison, Phoebe, and Elysia are young leaders with bright futures ahead of them.