CRESCO, IA | RUSHFORD, MN, April 12, 2017— Barbara Schwickerath, a junior at New Hampton High School, and Noah Carlson, a junior at Houston High School, each won an educational-filled week of adventure in Washington D.C. as MiEnergy Cooperative’s Youth Tour Contest winners. Both will be among a group of 1,600 students sponsored by electric cooperatives from across the country to take part in the Rural Electric Youth Tour June 9-15.
This year marks the 53rd anniversary of electric cooperatives sending high school students to Washington. The Youth Tour was inspired in 1957 by Lyndon Johnson, then a U.S. senator from Texas, when he called on electric cooperatives to send young people to Washington, “to see what the flag stands for and represents.”
The students will meet with state and federal legislators to get an up-close look at how our government works, along with experiencing the monuments, museums and history of our nation’s capital.
Iowa contestants
MiEnergy’s Iowa Youth Tour winner, Schwickerath, is the daughter of Neal and Leah Schwickerath, of New Hampton, Iowa. Allison Martinek, of Cresco, was selected as an alternate. Other Iowa finalists who took part in the interview process included: Lucas Feltz, of Decorah; Jason Herold, of Fort Atkinson; and Adrian Rings, Alexis Rings and Nick TeKippe, all of New Hampton.
Minnesota contestants
MiEnergy’s Minnesota Youth Tour winner, Carlson, is the son of Robert and Mimi Carlson, of Houston, Minn. Alexander Love, of Preston, was selected as an alternate. Other finalists who took part in the interview process included: Lillian Carlson, of Houston; Jon Husman, of Winona; Renee Lechner and McKayla Schwarz, both of Spring Valley; and Claire Pieper, Lanesboro.
All contestants completed MiEnergy’s online Youth Tour Contest exam. The contest winner was chosen based on the results of the online exam and their interview. The Youth Tour contest is open to high school sophomores and juniors whose parent(s) or guardian(s) are members of MiEnergy.