By Josh P. Crotzer
Taylor Burriss Harper knows a little something about gaining independence. As an occupational therapist, Harper helps people who have suffered debilitating injuries and illnesses reclaim self-care skills to “do the things they want and need to do.”
As a new mother, she’s watching her daughter, 10-month-old Macie, reach developmental milestones such as crawling, walking and talking.
When Harper was a rising senior at Crescent High School, she claimed some independence of her own, joining teens from across South Carolina on the Washington Youth Tour, an annual exploration of the nation’s capital sponsored by the state’s electric cooperatives.
“That was my first time on a plane and the first time I’d ever been on an extended trip without my family,” says Harper, who grew up in Iva in Little River Electric’s service area and now lives in Little Mountain as a Mid-Carolina Electric member.
“I think the biggest thing for me was getting out of my comfort zone and doing something that was unfamiliar with people who were unfamiliar. I think that prepares you for life and for the workforce. I know that it helped me.”
In 2013, Harper and 49 other student delegates representing South Carolina’s electric cooperatives visited historical and educational sites such as George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The students also spent a day at the U.S. Capitol where U.S. Sens. Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham spent time talking with the students.
The trip had an impact on Harper, and she knows it can do the same for current high school students.
“I think it’s an awesome opportunity,” she says. “Not only did we get to see museums, but we learned how we can reach out to our legislators. I think that’s important for the upcoming generation to learn—we elect them, and we can reach out to them about local and national issues.”
