Sussex Academy Student Selected for Electric Cooperative Youth Tour

Lauren Pieshala, a rising junior at Sussex Academy, will travel to Washington, D.C., this summer as one of three Delaware students selected by the Delaware Electric Cooperative for its 2026 Youth Tour.

The program brings more than 1,800 high school students from across the country to learn about electric cooperatives, leadership and democracy. During the week-long visit, Pieshala will tour monuments and museums, attend workshops and meet with government officials.

Pieshala discovered the opportunity through the Delaware Electric Cooperative's monthly newsletter. Her family belongs to the cooperative, which serves rural areas across Sussex County. She applied and was accepted to the program, coordinated by the Virginia, Maryland and Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

The Youth Tour targets high school students in rural communities served by electric cooperatives. Participants develop leadership skills through workshops and real-world experiences while learning how cooperatives support rural communities.

Pieshala is also applying to represent Delaware Electric Cooperative at the national level. The program runs annually and accepts applications from rising juniors whose families are cooperative members.