FAIRFAX, VA – The National Rifle Association is pleased to announce the 45 students selected to attend the 2012 Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.), a seven-day, expense-paid educational experience in Washington, DC.
Molly Smith will attend the National Rifle Association's Y.E.S. this summer. Photo courtesy of Yamil Sued
Summit participants will tour memorials and monuments surrounding the nation’s capital throughout the week as they learn the significance of the American Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the importance of being an active citizen. Scheduled stops include the Capitol Building, the Marine Corps Base at Quantico, the National Archives and the Newseum.
The winning smile and attitude says it all. Photo by Susan Smith
During the summit, up to $10,000 in college scholarships will be awarded to students who excel in the week’s activities. An additional $20,000 in scholarships are available after the summit for Y.E.S. students who create a portfolio describing how they promoted NRA programs, such as the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program or Refuse To Be A Victim, in their community.
This year’s Y.E.S. class was selected from hundreds of qualified applicants. Each prospective participant completed an extensive application process comprised of essays about the Second Amendment, personal statements, transcripts and three personal recommendations.
The National Rifle Association launched the Youth Education Summit in 1996 to encourage America’s youth to become active and knowledgeable citizens at the national and local level.
The NRA Foundation provides all funding for Y.E.S. through monies raised by Friends of NRA – a grassroots fund-raising program organized by community volunteers that supports thousands of local and national projects.
2012 Y.E.S. Participants
Kemper Gokmen – Huntsville, Alabama
Jeffrey Dow – Anchorage, Alaska
Sicily Wilcock – Mesa, Arizona
Jace Motley – Conway, Arkansas
Caleb LaCelle – Acampo, California
Molly Smith – Cambria, California
Jessica Chitkuer – Fullerton, California
Brooke Lane – Hudson, Colorado
Joshua Simon – Nokomis, Florida
Dirk Seymour – Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho
Alex Kaper – Mahomet, Illinois
Peter Dykhuizen – Plainfield, Illinois
Adam Weil – Evansville, Indiana
Elizabeth Barringer – Indianapolis, Indiana
Megan Hilbish – Emporia, Kansas
Clay Parker – Pine Grove, Louisiana
Mindy Downing – Brownville, Maine
Wyatt Farmer – Frederick, Maryland
Aiden Koplovsky – Duxbury, Massachusetts
Rudy Simpson – Whittemore, Michigan
Emily Trout – Cohasset, Minnesota
Dillon Hall – Saltillo, Mississippi
Nora Faris – Concordia, Missouri
Nicholas Radzykewycz – Park City, Montana
Kaytlyn Leonard – Liberty, North Carolina
Kyle Pletan – Dickinson, North Dakota
Eli West – Omaha, Nebraska
Sean Foley – Freehold, New Jersey
Emily Allen – Edgewood, New Mexico
Samuel Evans – New Woodstock, New York
Miranda Sternsher – Clarksville, Ohio
Nicholas Johnson – Owasso, Oklahoma
Bethany Janzen – Happy Valley, Oregon
Benjamin Barnes, Jr – Roseburg, Oregon
Kendra Lathrop – Gillett, Pennsylvania
Dominic Montemurro – Tarentum, Pennsylvania
Kaitlin Heitmann – Faulkton, South Dakota
Andrew Raves – Germantown, Tennessee
Michael Garner – Celina, Texas
Wyatt Saltarelli – Montgomery, Texas
Taylor Hart – Cedar Hills, Utah
Caitlin Hester – Colchester, Vermont
Hunter Bolan – Keysville, Virginia
Sydney Smith – Wayne, West Virginia
Kjersti Buckley – Upton, Wyoming
To learn more about the Youth Education Summit, visit their website at www.friendsofnra.org/yes
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