Intern shares love of D.C.

  Thursday, July 9, 2015 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

Since her freshman year, Lynzee Flores has traveled to Washington, D.C., twice a year as part of the National Healthy Living Youth Council. In that time, she grew quite fond of the nation’s capital.

“I love being in D.C.,” said Flores,a senior at Pittsburg State with a double major in communication and Spanish. “I love all of the history, the architecture, the people. It’s a very interesting place to be.”

This summer, Flores is sharing with others not only her love for the city, but also her extensive knowledge. As part of the Citizen Washington Focus program, a function of the national 4-H organization, Flores is serving as an officially licensed D.C. tour guide. Flores gives tours to thousands of 4-H students from across the country.

“When I first heard about this opportunity, I thought it sounded like a lot of fun,” said Flores, a Lamar, Mo., native. “I actually applied in 2014 but was denied. That crushed me. So I vowed to try again this year, and I’m so glad I did. This is a tremendous opportunity for me.”

Flores said being a tour guide of a major city challenges her to use the skills she is learning in both of her major classes at Pitt State.

“Both my communication and Spanish skills that I’ve learned at Pitt are coming into play in a big way during this program,” she said. “Interpersonal communication is so huge when you’re a tour guide, and I’m getting to speak Spanish to some of our visitors. It’s a fun feeling to put these skills to use in a practical way.”

Flores said her favorite areas to give tours in D.C. are the National Mall and Capitol Hill.