One take-away Karis shared from her experience is how easy it could be to collaborate with people who seem to be on very different sides of an issue.

“In the current political environment, there’s a divide. There’s a desire to work together, but there aren’t many taking the next step to collaborate,” Dean said.

She recalled one instance when Youth Tour participants were in congress watching two representatives from different political parties debate an agriculture bill.

“They were frustrated and upset. There was tension,” she recalls. “And then one made a concession. And they actually began to reach a compromise — you saw that there was this ability to make a compromise. It’s a good message to send to students.”

Dean is a 2019 graduate from Chapel Hill High School and is currently attending NC State University with a focus on international business, international relations and Spanish.