2 Local Students Win Trip to Washington, D.C.

2 local students, Noelani Holly and Addison Marcee, were selected as winners of Wood County Electric Co-op’s Essay contest, earning an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. this summer. They will join more than 150 Texas teens on Youth Tour, June 11 to 19, 2023.

Noelani is the 17-year-old daughter of Davion and Michelle Holly. She attends Van High School and is in 11th grade where she serves as the Secretary of the Student Council, and she is a varsity shotput athlete. She is also a Trio Upward Bound participant through Jarvis Christian College. She is a past participant of East Texas Rural Electric Youth Tour, and she was a participant in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s Delta Academy.

Addison is the 16-year-old daughter of Andy and Heather Marcee. She is in 11th grade at Quitman High School, where she participates in varsity softball, volleyball, basketball, powerlifting and cheerleading. Addison is also a member of the National Honor Society and the Key Club, she serves as the Historian of the Student Council, and she is President of the Anchor Club.

Youth Tour has been a Texas co-op tradition since 1965, when the state’s electric cooperatives banded together to present this unforgettable trip. Educating and mentoring youth fits with co-ops’ mission to empower and enrich the communities they serve, and this program is a prime example. Since inception, more than 4,400 Texans have taken part in Youth Tour, and most look back on it as the trip of a lifetime.

This year the students will begin their adventure in Austin, for a tour of the state Capitol and Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum before boarding a flight to Washington, DC. Once there, the itinerary is jam-packed with sightseeing of monuments and museums, and meaningful events including a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and meeting with congressional representatives.

Trey Teaff, GM and CEO of WCEC said, “After Noelani’s and Addison’s week in Washington, they are bound to return home with a deeper understanding of our nation’s history and a wealth of experiences that will serve them for a lifetime. Our co-op remains invested in our youth and our community, and I’m looking forward to seeing the impact this trip will have on our delegates.”

For more information about the Government-in-Action Youth Tour, visit the Texas Youth Tour website.