Senior Jake McAnelly will participate in the Youth Tour in Washington D.C. this June as a representative of the Pedernales Electric Cooperative.

The Youth Tour is a Texas Electric Cooperative program that sends high school students on an all-expenses paid trip to the nation’s capital where they will tour historical sites, meet local political representatives and learn about government in action.

“Many students have gone on to work in public service and government,” Community Outreach Specialist for PEC Mikayla Herron said. “And we continuously hear from past participants that Youth Tour is truly life changing — whether by opening doors, creating relationships, or just showing students what’s possible. So we’re thrilled to have played a role in inspiring their futures.”

McAnelly plans to attend Texas A&M University in the fall and major in political science. He believes that the Youth Tour will give him beneficial experience in the political world.

“I’ve been to the state capitol, but I’ve never been to the federal capitol,” he said, “so I’m really interested to see how the offices work up there.”

To apply for the Youth Tour,  students must have completed their high school sophomore, junior or senior year by the time of the trip in June and have a parent or guardian who is a PEC member in good standing. The application consisted of two short answer questions and an attached copy of the student’s resume. 

“Jake’s application and impressive resume immediately stood out, as he was a perfect example of a well-rounded student,” Herron said. “Jake is studious, an athlete, a musician, a member of several diverse extracurricular activities and groups, and gives back to his community through many community service efforts.”

Last summer, McAnelly participated in Boys State where he went to the state capital and learned how the government functions.

“I enjoyed Boys State, but it was all about the election process and not much about actually writing legislation,” McAnelly said. “So hopefully I’ll see that actually happening in real time when I go to D.C.”

In addition to participating in governmental programs, McAnelly is a captain of the tennis team and National Honor Society off-campus service secretary.

“I don’t know how he manages to balance his tennis schedule with his academics plus everything else that he does, but he does it,” history teacher Kesa Kemp said. “His work was always top notch and it never felt like he took the easy way out. Jake is an exceptional young man.”

McAnelly’s well-rounded resume and impressive accomplishments is what made him a perfect candidate for the Youth Tour.

“What really made Jake stand out were his leadership experiences,” Herron said. “Jake doesn’t just hold titles or positions in organizations, but he takes it to the next level by wanting to grow as a leader – through attending leadership conferences and academy programs. Jake has goals and aspirations of being a future leader, and he is on the road to making that happen.”