By Connie Juarez

This summer, two Bluebonnet-area students will get a front-row seat to where history is made: Washington, D.C.

Emma Meachen and Emory Burton have been chosen to represent Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative for the Government-in-Action Youth Tour, a weeklong leadership program that introduces students to the inner workings of American government.

Meachen, a junior at Giddings High School, and Burton, a homeschooled senior from Lockhart, were selected from a competitive pool of 15 applicants. Sofia Robles, a junior at Bastrop High School, was named alternate and will join the tour if one of the others is unable to attend.

Along with a weeklong, all-expenses-paid trip to the nation’s capital, each student will receive a $1,000 educational scholarship from Bluebonnet.

The Youth Tour, scheduled for June 14-22, gives students a chance to experience the nation’s capital while learning about civic engagement and public service. Participants visit landmarks and historic sites, tour the U.S. Capitol and attend educational sessions hosted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and Texas Electric Cooperatives, the program’s sponsors.

Vice president of her class, Meachen, 17, is active in Student Council, Interact Club, Beta Club, the Lee County swim team and prom committee. Her favorites, however, are FFA and Giddings High School BBQ Club.

“FFA gives me a chance to give back through service projects, and BBQ Club lets me be creative in the kitchen,” Meachen said.

She would like to attend Texas A&M University and apply to the Mays Business School. She hopes to one day help run her father’s trucking company. “Watching my dad succeed inspired me. I want to be part of that and eventually help grow it myself,” she said.

Meachen said her sister played a big role in her decision to apply for the trip. “My sister Ruby went on Youth Tour last year, and hearing about all the incredible experiences she had made me want to apply. She told me to take lots of pictures because there’s so much to take in.”

Burton, 18, is involved in 4-H and varsity theater at Lockhart High School. She also plays cello in her church youth band, volunteers in her church nursery and serves as president of the Caldwell County 4-H Council.

Raising and showing lambs is what Burton enjoys most. “It’s incredibly rewarding. Seeing the results of months of hard work is fulfilling,” she said.

She plans to attend Tarleton State University this fall to study sports medicine, with a long-term goal of opening a wellness practice. Her interest in the field stems from a volleyball injury in freshman year that required extensive rehabilitation. “I want to help young athletes get the care they need so they don’t go through what I did,” Burton said.

Robles, 17, looks forward to supporting the program as the alternate representative. She is a junior at Bastrop High School and is involved in 4-H, pastoral council, National Honor Society, cheerleading, band and softball. Her older sister, Mayra, was a Youth Tour winner in 2020, inspiring Robles to apply.

Meachen and Burton said they are most looking forward to experiencing government firsthand. “I turn 18 next year and will be able to vote. I want to understand how our government works so I can make informed decisions and be a responsible voter,” Meachen said. Burton added, “I want to represent our area responsibly and take full advantage of everything the experience has to offer.”

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Government-in-Action Youth Tour, which has more than 50,000 alumni, including CEOs, elected officials and countless other business and community leaders.