Christopher “Chandler” White and Serenitee Rain George attended the 2025 youth tour and were in Washington, D.C., from June 15 – 21. Here’s what they thought about the experience.

Serenitee Rain George

What a wonderful time, it was the best week ever! The Museum of the Bible and the Holocaust Memorial Museum were two of my favorites, and we saw so many other inspirational landmarks. I’m a shy person, so being with a big group of new people was a challenge that was good for me – I’m definitely more confident now and more independent, and it opened me up socially. The students from Texas were especially fun, most in cowboy boots and some in cowboy hats, and they kidded with us about how they rode their tractors to school.

I’ve been involved with theatre, so was thrilled when we got the chance to see Les Misérables at The Kennedy Center, it was fantastic! And I went to a book signing with author Mike Schlappi, and got a signed copy of his latest work, and a photo with him.

We crammed so much into one week. I highly encourage anyone considering applying to go on the tour to do so – you’ll be glad you did!

Christopher “Chandler” White

It was an amazing week, spending time with people from all over, and seeing and learning so much. The fact that we all got along so well, with so many differing opinions, was incredible to me. We had a conversation about religion on the bus coming home that was beautiful, because we all were respectful and tried to learn as we listened to each other. I of course enjoyed the museums and other sites, but I especially liked the architecture.

I studied masonry in high school, even placed third in a state championship, so getting to see examples of how brick laying was done over the centuries was a great experience; I had heard about some of the techniques, but seeing them in historic structures was very cool. And hanging out in Old Georgetown with a small group of new friends was so much fun. If you go with an open mind, you can learn a lot about the history of our country, and yourself.