CHELCO (Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative, Inc.) announces the completion of its 2026 FECA (Florida Electric Cooperatives Association, Inc.) Youth Tour and 2026 NRECA (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association) Youth Tour Delegates. 

In the first week of February, chaperoned by CHELCO staff, 22 local high school juniors participated in the FECA-sponsored Youth Tour in Tallahassee, Florida. The day-and-a-half, all-expense-paid trip brought students to the state’s capital for an immersive experience, including mock legislative sessions in the House of Representatives and State Senate, as well as tours of the historic legislative grounds.

The following juniors from schools within CHELCO’s service territory participated in the 2026 Youth Tour:

Andrea Barnhill — Laurel Hill School

Graham Beauchamp — Niceville High School

Layla Bendickson — Baker School

Makenzie Betts — Rocky Bayou Christian School

Evelyn Bollinger — Niceville High School

Calie Brackin — Walton High School

Maddie Caraway — Paxton School

Jocelyn Chumbley — Laurel Hill School

Meredith Deman — Rocky Bayou Christian School

Maria Dos Santos — Freeport High School

Aidan Enriquez — Crestview High School

Grace Fitzgerald — Crestview High School

Ethan Gautney* — Walton High School

Myles Koons* — Rocky Bayou Christian School

Elizabeth Latour — South Walton High School

Alissa Logan — Baker School

Rylen Nelson* — Walton High School

Noah Seeliger — Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College

Kiera Wangsgard — Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College

Rose Weinacker — Niceville High School

Kaylee Yeakos — Paxton School

Oliver Yoxall — South Walton High School

* CHELCO employee dependents

After returning from Tallahassee, students submitted video reflections on their Youth Tour experience. An independent panel of judges from local energy and electric cooperatives, unassociated with CHELCO, reviewed the submissions and selected the top students to advance as CHELCO’s delegates for the NRECA-sponsored Youth Tour in Washington, D.C., in June.

The four 2026 CHELCO Youth Tour delegates who will represent the cooperative are:

Kaylee Yeakos — Paxton School

Calie Brackin — Walton High School

Noah Seeliger — Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College

Rose Weinacker — Niceville High School

In addition, two alternates were chosen in case any of the top delegates are unable to attend:

Aidan Enriquez — Crestview High School

Graham Beauchamp — Niceville High School

“The Youth Tour program has been close to my heart throughout my 13 years at CHELCO, and even before that during my time with other cooperatives,” said CHELCO CEO Steve Rhodes. “Programs like this reflect CHELCO’s commitment to investing in the communities we serve, while inspiring and empowering the next generation of cooperative leaders. Interestingly, some of our tenured CHELCO employees were once Youth Tour participants themselves, carrying the lessons they learned decades ago into the work they do for our members today.”

For more information about CHELCO’s Youth Tour program and how the cooperative is empowering local students, visit https://www.chelco.com/youth-tour.

CHELCO is a not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative serving more than 70,000 accounts in Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes and Santa Rosa counties in the Florida Panhandle.