Laura Axvig Wins Washington Trip

Capital Electric Cooperative is proud to announce that Laura Axvig of Bismarck is the winner of our trip to Washington, D.C. Later this month, Laura will be participating in the Youth Tour to Washington program, hosted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which has headquarters in the nation's capital.

With 10 other North Dakota teenagers, Laura will depart on June 18 from Bismarck. This delegation will link with a similar delegation of Montana students for a week's worth of touring key points in the Washington, D.C. area. More than 1,000 teenagers sponsored by electric cooperatives nationwide descend on Washington for the annual Youth Tour event.

Laura Axvig, was selected for the Youth Tour trip based on a winning essay she submitted. Her essay dealt with what she would include in a pep talk with her peers about getting involved in public issues.

Laura indicates she's had a great deal of experience writing essays in English in her just concluded junior year at Bismarck High School.

Susan and Randy Axvig are Laura's parents. She has two brothers: Aaron and Elliot and a younger sister, Eve. The Axvigs reside in the Falconer Estates development off University Drive, north of the University of Mary. They are consumer-members of Capital Electric. Randy is a mechanical engineer for Prairie Engineering; Susan is a full-time mom, and is also employed at Herberger's.

During the five days in Washington, Laura will take in all the key world war memorials, view the nation's founding documents, meet with our state's congressional delegation, take in a Potomac River boat ride, and tour the national cathedral and Smithsonian museums.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the Holocaust Museum," Laura says, "and also just meeting so many new people."

In her winning essay, Laura Axvig said big public decision-making responsibility is approaching for young people. She urges her peers to get in the information-gathering mode now. In her essay, Laura says this:

"We need to learn about the issues ourselves and then choose the one that corresponds with what we ourselves believe. When we are not well informed on the surrounding issues, it is extremely hard to make good, educated, responsible decisions. To make well thought out decisions, we must determine all the pros and cons of an issue; this requires us to research the topic. Once we are confident in the reasons behind our decision, we can take a stand. When we are questioned as to why we believe one way rather than another, we have valid, supporting reasons.

"As students we are encouraged to vote upon turning 18. Many teens don't understand or care what is happening in the nation's political scene. We may not have much say yet, but soon we will. When it is our turn to voice our opinions, they should not be based exclusively on the information we started listening to only two months prior to our voting. We should pay attention to the issues right now. If we constantly watch the effects of decisions and form our own opinions well in advance, we have the opportunity to represent our thoughts and personal beliefs more accurately at the appropriate time."

These are great thoughts from an outstanding young lady in the Capital Electric Cooperative family. Congratulations, Laura, and best wishes on your Youth Tour to Washington experience!