Youth Tour Student Combines His Love of Cars with a Lesson in Safety

For one Michigan Youth Tour participant, the road to leadership led straight to the driver’s seat. Literally. Inspired by his love of sports cars and his passion for learning, Great Lakes Energy member Naaman Looy’s service project turned into something fast, fun, and educational: a community car show with a powerful safety message.

“The idea for the car show started from three simple thoughts,” Naaman explained. “First, I really like sports cars. My boss owns a new Corvette, and the thrill of driving and riding in it captured me. Second, I realized I didn’t know much about the cars I loved. And third, I remembered I’d never been taught what to do if I hit an electric pole or a downed line with my car.”

Those three ideas came together in one project. By organizing a local car show, Naaman could admire the vehicles he loved, learn directly from car owners, and share vital safety information about what to do in the event of a collision with electric infrastructure. His tabletop display included statistics, emergency steps for different situations, and facts about power lines.

“I can’t wait to talk with people about it,” Naaman said. “It’s become really important to me since I started researching the topic.”

While the project is about cars and safety, he credits his experience with Youth Tour for giving him the confidence and tools to make it all happen. “I learned during Youth Tour how to be on a schedule,” he said. “That’s helped me stay super busy but calm enough to keep everything organized. The trip taught me how to take initiative, how to make the first move, and get things done instead of waiting on others.”

Youth Tour Director Katie Deller said Naaman exemplifies what the program is all about.

“Youth Tour strives to provide opportunities, develop leadership skills, and strengthen the self-confidence of the delegates,” Deller said. “Naaman took advantage of all that was offered and is putting it to use in his service project. Not only is he sharing vital safety information, but he is also building community connections and learning important project management skills.”

From planning logistics to creating educational materials, Naaman has relied heavily on the leadership and organizational skills learned in Washington, D.C. “Because I was equipped by Youth Tour, it came a lot easier,” he said. “But I’ve still spent countless hours organizing every detail.”

For this young leader, the car show isn’t just a celebration of horsepower. It’s a demonstration of cooperative power in action—using knowledge, initiative, and passion to make the community safer for everyone.