We are excited to announce that Joseph Loehlein of Turtle River is the winner of the cooperative’s 2025 Youth Tour Essay Contest. Joseph is a student at Falcon View Online High School and is the son of Richard and Jean Loehlein. He will attend the 2025 Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. June 2-6, with all expenses paid by Paul Bunyan Communications.
The trip features a comprehensive overview of the telecommunications industry, including careers in telecom, the critical role telecommunications plays in rural America, and how legislative and regulatory decisions affect the industry. The tour allows youth to meet with members of Congress who represent rural constituents. They also participate in educational sessions about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Students visit some of the nation’s most historic sites, including the Smithsonian Museums and a beautiful night tour of Washington D.C.
“The FRS Youth Tour is a unique opportunity for a local student from our area to visit Washington D.C. to gain a better perspective on how regulatory decisions impact our cooperative and rural areas. They will also get the chance to see a lot of historic sites in our nation’s capital!” said Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Communications Marketing Supervisor.
Paul Bunyan Communications has participated in sending a local high school student to the Youth Tour since 1996. Recent Youth Tour winners include Julia Frenzel of Blackduck (2024), Michael Van Horn of Blackduck (2023), and Amelia Scherling of Bemidji (2022)
The Foundation for Rural Service is dedicated to informing and improving the quality of life throughout rural America. Each year, it organizes the Youth Tour, designed to educate rural youth about the telecommunications industry and the federal political process. The FRS is a subsidiary of the NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association of which Paul Bunyan Communications is a member.