TMI Episcopal sophomore Jackson “Jack” Basil was selected as one of 15 Texas delegates to attend the Texas Youth Education Summit (YES), held Feb. 28-March 3 in Austin. The event teaches high-school students more about their state governments and the roles their generation of voters will play. Delegates are sophomores and juniors, who participate in debates, prepared speeches and impromptu speaking.

The Texas YES students spent three days touring the state capitol, meeting with state legislators, visiting the Alamo on March 2 (Texas Independence Day) and attending the Texas State Rifle Association annual dinner.

Basil, who is captain of the Texas Military Institute Corps of Cadets rifle team, has been active for years in the Kendall County 4-H Shooting Sports organization. A member of the winning debate team at the YES state conference, he competed to be a Texas Ambassador to the 2019 National YES Conference this summer in Washington D.C. and was one of four Texas delegates selected to attend.

The National YES conference seeks high-school students who are actively engaged in academics, leadership and community service. Ambassadors receive an expense-paid, weeklong educational experience in the nation’s capital. Students engage with political leaders, visit historical monuments and apply their skills in competitive debates. The program’s mission is to help students explore American government while encouraging them to become responsible citizens who participate in the democratic process.