Each year, CAEC selects high school juniors from public, private or homeschools in our 10-county coverage area to participate in Youth Tour. Whether it’s traveling to the state capital in Montgomery or to the nation’s capital in Washington D.C., the experience allows local students to serve as delegates alongside other youth leaders from across the state and country.
This year, CAEC provided the opportunity for 13 students to participate in the Montgomery Youth Tour. Those selected were Anna Claire Carroll, Emma Elmore, Lilly Gunn, Ford Hallman, Sophie Hallman, Sean Holmes, Marrell Hollon, Marley Holsomback, Ripley Kane, Hunter Lindley, Kate Horne, EdenLynn Terry and Livvie Tucker.
“While a previous participant had given me some ideas of what to expect, it surpassed my expectations,” said Holsomback.
“Going into it, I was expecting it to be great,” said Lindley. “However, until we got down there and started doing all of the activities, I didn’t realize just how great it would be and how much new information I would learn.”
During their first day in the state’s capital, delegates toured a few local sites around Montgomery before meeting up with over 150 fellow students from across the state, where they participated in Co-op 101 games and learned about servant leadership from the Alabama Air National Guard’s own Chief CMSgt. Mataya Williams.
“I learned that all of us have our own ways of being leaders, and if we are able to work together and optimize each other’s strengths, we will be more effective as a team,” said Lindley.
Day two started off with a presentation by Alabama’s 2025-2026 Youth Leadership Council (YLC) Caroline Short. Afterwards, delegates toured the Legacy Museum, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, the Johnson Courthouse and the State House, where delegates had the chance to meet with local representatives. Back at the hotel, delegates engaged in an interactive leadership session with Craig Hillier and finished the night with a silent disco.
The final day brought “no panic presentation skills” with Mandi Stanley and ended with an educational session all about cooperatives and the cooperative principles with Executive Director of the Alabama Agribusiness Council Grace Ellis.
“I would recommend that everyone try to learn more about what co-ops do for their communities, because they have a huge impact, and a lot of the time it goes unnoticed,” said Lindley. “I think that the co-ops and the great people that work in the co-ops deserve more recognition for what they do for their communities.”
“My biggest takeaway was to keep an open mind,” said Holsomback. “While government isn’t something I’m very interested in, I kept an open mind and was truly able to enjoy myself.”
Delegates chosen to attend Washington Youth Tour this summer are: Marrell Hollon, Sean Holmes, Livvie Tucker, Emma Elmore and Lilly Gunn, with Hunter Lindley serving as an alternate.
