David Wahl, 2024 Youth Tour and Youth Leadership Council Delegate, Continues to Shine

I was raised in a town of a few hundred people, where even a trip to a city of 5,000 felt overwhelming. And yet, when I step back, small towns (no matter the size) share the same essentials: fewer people, tighter social circles, and sadly, fewer opportunities.

I’ve grown to appreciate the closeness of a community. I used to tease my dad or grandpa because they couldn’t go anywhere without running into someone they knew. Now I realize how rare and special that is. Those small and unexpected connections don’t really exist elsewhere.

The Achilles heel is opportunity. Small communities offer fewer paths forward. That’s fine if your dreams align with what’s already thriving. Mine didn’t. I want to become a structural engineer and work on major infrastructure projects, something my community can’t offer. For years, I figured I’d leave and never look back.

Then came the summer of 2024.

I boarded a plane for the first time, bound for Washington, D.C., as part of NRECA’s Youth Tour. For many of us, it was not only our first flight, but our first visit to the nation’s capital. That shared novelty built instant camaraderie. I was surrounded by students who understood rural life… the pride, the challenges, the quiet ambition it instills.

One moment stands out. We were meeting with legislative assistants in my Congressman’s office. Beforehand, I’d learned that just 16% of Michigan’s population lives on 95% of its landmass. I asked how they advocate for such a small, often-overlooked population. Their answer stuck with me: “You don’t do it alone.”

That single line sums up everything I felt during Youth Tour.

Before the trip, I was convinced nothing about my hometown could serve my future. Most of us felt that way. We didn’t know what we were running toward. We just wanted out.

But when I walked back into my house after that week, something had shifted.

I had met people like me, rural kids with big dreams, limited resources, and no interest in settling. They showed me that ambition doesn’t need to be silenced just because it started in a small town. That together, our voices carry further.

That message deepened when I was selected for NRECA’s Youth Leadership Council (YLC). Over the next year, I connected with 44 other students, one from each participating state, who shared that same passion for purpose. None of us were content with “it is what it is.” We believed in doing something about it.

These were my kind of people.

As part of YLC, each of us organized a community service project for National Co-op Month. The projects were inspiring: voter registration drives, safety demos, local interviews, and others. But I still think mine was the most fun.

Inspired by my childhood library, I invited every Pre-K to 4th Grade student to send their stuffed animals to school for a secret overnight adventure. That afternoon, I collected nearly 160 “stuffies.” With help from friends and family, I staged scenes of them playing basketball, sneaking snacks, even receiving a surprise chapel visit from the local Bishop.

After wrapping football practice and musical rehearsal, I compiled the photos into a slideshow. The next morning, I shared it with the students and their joy was everything I’d hoped for! Laughter. Awe. Smiles. The school and Diocese posted it online, where it was met with overwhelming community support.

I’ve since spoken to thousands of people, met celebrities and industry leaders, and even attended my first NBA game from a suite. But that simple stuffed animal project remains the moment I’m proudest of. It reminded me: you don’t have to leave a small town to make a difference. You just have to care enough to try.

Now, as I prepare for my senior year, I don’t know exactly what I want to do with my life—and that’s okay. I still plan to attend college elsewhere; there’s no strong engineering program nearby, and I want the full experience. But I’m no longer leaving because I want to escape.

Thanks to NRECA, I’ve realized I’m more than a kid from a small town. I’m a voice for rural America! A voice that too often goes unheard. And that voice matters.

That’s why I was accepted into selective pre-college programs at Notre Dame, Dartmouth, and Northwestern. Not because I needed a handout, but because I offer a perspective that matters.

Being from a rural place isn’t a disadvantage. It’s a distinction.

And now, I know how to use it.

More information about David’s time on the YLC can be found in our May 2025 issue of Country Lines.