Holmes County High School junior, Bailey Rich and Altha School junior, Anna Alday were named West Florida Electric’s Youth Tour competition winners on Tuesday, February 20. Elizabeth Carnley of Malone was named the alternate.
These two students will represent WFEC on the National Rural Electric Youth Tour June 9-14, traveling to Washington, D.C. with over 30 other Florida students to join over 1,600 high school juniors representing co-ops from across the country.
Thirteen area students participated in the Youth Tour program this year. They were: Anna Alday, Altha School; Haley Mitchell, Bethlehem School; Samera Baker, Blountstown High School; Emily Broom, Chipley High School; Lilly Ball, Cottondale High School; Aliyah Wilburn, Graceville High School; Bailey Rich, Holmes County High School; Elizabeth Carnley, Malone School; Jonah Mercer, Marianna High School; Zach Prescott, Ponce De Leon High School; Reagan Joiner, Poplar Springs School; Georgia Cloud, Sneads High School and Lana Bush, Vernon High School.
2018 Youth Tour participants were: (front row: l-r) Elizabeth Carnley, Malone School; Haley Mitchell, Bethlehem School; Lana Bush, Vernon HS; Georgia Cloud, Sneads HS; Samera Baker, Blountstown HS; Lilly Ball, Cottondale HS; (back row: l-r) Emily Broom, Chipley HS; Jonah Mercer, Marianna HS; Bailey Rich, Holmes Co. HS; Zach Prescott, Ponce De Leon HS; Anna Alday, Altha School & Aliyah Wilburn, Graceville HS. Not pictured, Reagan Joiner, Poplar Springs School.
The cooperative’s Board of Trustees created a scholarship program linked to Youth Tour participation. Each year, a scholarship of $4,000 to Chipola College is awarded to the highest scoring participant from each county. Participants are ranked on a scale of 100 points using a panel interview process and the following categories: Communication Skills, Knowledge of Subject, Personality, Community Service and Poise/Appearance. Those scholarship recipients were: Anna Alday, Calhoun County; Bailey Rich, Holmes County; Elizabeth Carnley, Jackson County and Emily Broom, Washington County.
2018 Youth Tour Scholarship winners: (front: l-r) Washington County winner, Emily Broom, Chipley HS; Jackson County winner, Elizabeth Carnley, Malone School & Holmes County winner, Bailey Rich, Holmes Co. HS with WFEC’s Board of Trustees: (back l-r) George Clayton Owens, Randy Bush, John Adams, Myron Hudson, Tim Alford, A.C. Miles & Joe Rone. Not pictured, Calhoun County winner, Anna Alday, Altha School.
The Calhoun County 2018 YT Scholarship winner, Anna Alday, Altha School with Terry Mullen, WFEC Manager of Marketing & Communications. Alday will also travel to Washington, D.C. this summer to represent WFEC on the National Youth Tour.
Bailey Rich, the Holmes County 2018 Youth Tour Scholarship winner with WFEC Trustees (l-r) Randy Bush, Myron Hudson & Joe Rone. Rich will also travel to Washington, D.C. this summer to represent WFEC on the National Youth Tour.
Elizabeth Carnley, the Jackson County 2018 Youth Tour Scholarship winner & Youth Tour alternate, with WFEC Trustees, (l-r) John Adams, Tim Alford & A.C. Miles.
The Washington, D.C. Youth Tour Program has been in existence since 1957 when co-ops sent students to Washington, D.C. to work during the summer. By 1964, the program caught on, and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) began to coordinate the efforts of the co-ops. Since then, thousands of young people have experienced this opportunity. WFEC has participated in the Youth Tour since 1979, sending two students to Washington, D.C. each year since. For more information about the Youth Tour and the scholarship program, please visit www.westflorida.coop or contact Candace Croft at ccroft@westflorida.coop.