2023 Youth Tour Delegates Selected

The two delegates for the 2023 Government-In-Action Rural Electric Youth Tour contest, sponsored by Lea County Electric Cooperative (LCEC), have been selected. David Ascencio, a Lovington High School senior, and Victoria Kilpatrick, a Lovington High School sophomore, were chosen from seven finalists.

The contest was open to eligible high school sophomores, juniors and seniors within the LCEC service territory. Each eligible applicant is a dependent of an active LCEC member, resides in the LCEC service territory and submitted three essays by the deadline date.

The contest’s final stage was an interview with a group of judges representing each of the LCEC service territories.

The three alternates are Sebastian Brown and Marissa Garcia from Plains, Texas, and Emily Reeser from Lovington, New Mexico. An alternate will attend the June trip if a delegate cannot travel with their respective delegations.

Approximately 1,600 Youth Tour participants from 37 states will meet in Washington, D.C., for the national youth tour. During the June 12-18 trip, these delegates will visit with their legislative leaders and tour sites of historical significance.

The agenda includes delegates touring the New Mexico Capitol in Santa Fe, before going onto Washington, D.C. Along with visits to the Smithsonian Institution, Arlington National Cemetery, the National Archives and Mount Vernon. The students will also meet with their respective state’s congressional delegation. The group is scheduled to attend a stage play at the

Kennedy Center and place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This annual event is hosted by the National Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NRECA), an organization that represents more than 900 electric cooperatives.