by Josh P. Crotzer
At The People’s House, Tope and Hawkins learn about the history of the White House from an interactive display.
Madelyn Hawkins and Ellie Tope had themselves a summer.
They experienced the 45-second presidential commute to the Oval Office. They visited the birthplace of the national anthem. They cruised down the Potomac River as the sun set over the nation’s capital.
Madelyn Hawkins sits behind the Resolute Desk at The People’s House. The museum tells the story of the Executive Mansion, its inhabitants and the people who have dedicated their careers to its functions.
The two rising high school seniors from Iva were among 71 student delegates representing South Carolina’s electric cooperatives on Washington Youth Tour, an all-expenses-paid trip to the nation’s capital and surrounding landmarks. Hawkins and Tope were sponsored by Little River Electric Cooperative on the six-day trip last month.
“All the things that we’re getting to see, that’s going to play an important role in learning more about what goes on in Washington and the factors that it plays in our lives,” says Hawkins.
The trip included a visit to The People’s House, a new immersive museum replicating the life and history of the White House followed by a walk to see the actual executive mansion.
Tope and Hawkins pose with a history reenactor at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore. The fort is the site of the 1814 battle that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that became the national anthem.
The students also toured Fort McHenry, where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write “The Star Spangled Banner,” and joined other Washington Youth Tourists from across the country on a dinner cruise down the Potomac.
In addition to historic and educational sites such as George Washington’s Mount Vernon and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Hawkins and Tope went to the U.S. Capitol, where they toured the complex, visited the office of U.S. Rep. Sheri Biggs and met with congressional staff members there. Afterward, Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott spent time talking with the students on the Capitol steps.
Ellie Tope participated in the daily wreath laying ceremony at George and Martha Washington’s tomb during her visit to Mount Vernon.
“I love history and government, so getting to see where things go on has been the coolest experience, ever,” says Tope. “I can’t wait to go home and tell everybody about this.”
Throughout the trip, the students participated in the Soda Pop Co-op, selling snacks and beverages to their fellow Washington Youth Tourists. The exercise allowed the students to learn firsthand how the not-for-profit co-op business model works.
