Two local rising high school seniors returned from Washington, D.C., on June 8 thanking Hardy Telecommunications for a tour they called “truly amazing” and “the experience of a lifetime.”
East Hardy High Senior Makayla Perry and Moorefield High Senior Hunter Ayers spent June 4-8 in the nation’s capital as part of the Foundation for Rural Service Youth Tour. They were sponsored by Hardy Telecommunications.
Makayla said that, even though Hardy County is close to D.C., she experienced the city in a way she never had before.
“I was able to see so many memorials and visit places I’ve never had the opportunity to travel to,” she said. “My favorite places we visited would have to be the Lincoln Memorial at sunset and Arlington National Cemetery.”
The group also took the students to the Smithsonian Museums, Mount Vernon, the WWII, Vietnam, Korean and Iwo Jima Memorials, the U.S. Capitol, and Union Station. They also had time to visit the Library of Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court during free time at the Capitol.
Makayla and Hunter were just two of more than 100 students from across the United States who attended the Youth Tour. All were sponsored by small rural telecommunications companies like Hardy.
Even though the students had plenty of time to see the sights, the tour also is designed to educate students about the challenges of bringing modern, affordable telecommunications service to rural areas. Areas like Hardy County, which usually have less population and challenging terrain, often are far more expensive to serve than urban areas.
To that end, the students visited the U.S. Capitol, where they viewed a videotaped welcome message from West Virginia Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito. The senator arranged for the entire group to use an auditorium in the Capitol building. Staffers from Sen. Capito’s office also spoke to the students about their backgrounds and their journeys from being rural students to working in the nation’s capital. The West Virginia connection appealed to Makayla and Hunter, the only West Virginia students on the tour.
The group also visited the Federal Communications Commission, where they met several FCC staffers who gave presentations on the various services offered by the commission.
“I learned a lot about telecommunications and the advancements that are taking place every day in rural areas,” Makayla said.
One aspect of the tour that tends to be overshadowed is the opportunity for the students to meet so many peers from around the country. Because all of the students are sponsored by rural companies, the youths learn how much they have in common.
“I made friends and met kids from all over the country that live in places similar to my hometown,” said Makayla.
For Hunter, that part of the tour stood out from the rest. He called the tour “one of the best trips I’ve ever had.”
“I met people that I never would have met otherwise, and I walked away with some new lifelong friends,” he said.
Both students said they appreciated Hardy Telecommunications for sponsoring them.
“I had the experience of a lifetime,” said Makayla.
“I loved seeing D.C. and I encourage everyone who is old enough next year to sign up because it’s truly amazing,” Hunter said.
Established in 1994 by NTCA – the Rural Broadband Association, the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that promotes, educates and advocates rural telecom issues in order to sustain and enhance the quality of life within communities throughout rural America.