Avery Heishman and Madison Vance, both seniors at North Miami High School, joined Kayla Kraning (also a senior at North Miami) and over 100 other students from across the United States on an exciting trip to the nation’s capital last summer. Both are very glad they went and would love to go back. They also encourage other students to apply for this amazing trip, sponsored by Miami-Cass REMC.
The girls were a part of the 2018 Indiana Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., last June. Delegates headed to the Washington, D.C., area with a stop in Pennsylvania to visit Gettysburg and the Flight 93 Memorial. While in the nation’s capital, students visited national monuments, the U.S. Capitol Building, the Holocaust Museum and took a cruise down the Potomac River. In addition to these sights, students could choose from a variety of other experiences like visiting the Smithsonian and other museums.
Heishman indicated that the cruise on the Potomac and her visit to the National Air and Space Museum were the highlights of the trip for her. While at the museum, she was able to meet a lot of soldiers and was even able to watch a U.S. Air Force initiation ceremony.
Vance, who is a self-professed art nerd, said that she absolutely loved visiting the Smithsonian American Art Museum. She also enjoyed visiting Mount Vernon (George Washington’s home) and appreciates that history has been so well preserved. During the visit, Vance could even imagine living in that time period.
Both girls were honored to see the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery and thought their visit to the Holocaust Museum was a sobering experience. Both appreciated being able to see images of things they had been studying in school.
Delegates’ days were packed full of adventure, with the typical day starting around 6 a.m. and ending at around 9 p.m. The only thing Heishman and Vance would change about the trip would be to make it even longer. Both encourage any student contemplating the trip to apply. In addition to the experience of the trip, each of them met other students they would never have otherwise met. They stay in contact with them still today.
The 2019 Youth Tour is scheduled for June 13-20. Students must be a high school junior heading into their senior year to apply. Applications for the trip must be submitted by March 1 and can be found on the Miami-Cass REMC website at www.mcremc.coop.
