Youth Tour Alum Named National Spokesperson

October 4, 2019

When Kade McAdams sent off his Youth Tour application to Tri-County EC last winter, he wasn’t sure he’d make the cut for the annual trip to Washington, D.C.

Many months later, the Seymour High School senior has been selected as the face of Youth Tour—chosen as the national spokesperson from among the some 1,800 teens who went on the trip in June. He’ll speak at NRECA’s annual meeting in March.

“I never dreamed I would be chosen as the national spokesperson,” McAdams said. “Youth Tour has definitely sent me further than I could have ever imagined.”

Texas hasn’t produced a Youth Tour national spokesperson in about 25 years, according to Esther Dominguez, who organizes the Texas trip. “This is big news for us,” she said.

McAdams had to earn the right. From among the 157 Texas attendees, he was chosen by the trip’s chaperones to represent Texas on the NRECA Youth Leadership Council, which met in July for a leadership workshop. At the workshop, every attendee was required to prepare and give a short speech. McAdams’ speech, on the leadership principles inherent in “good ol’ ” country music, won him the honor of national spokesperson.

“Just to stand among a group of such accomplished, talented and articulate young men and women was such an honor, but to be selected to represent that group felt—and still feels—very surreal,” McAdams said.

The NRECA Annual Meeting is March 1–4, 2020, in New Orleans. McAdams will have a powerful message to share.

“The experience has boosted my self-confidence and convinced me that I can shine in a galaxy full of bright stars,” he said. “But even better than that are the new friendships and networks created, the communication skills developed, and the amazing opportunities I have been afforded because of Youth Tour that have altered my future for the better.”