HIGGINSVILLE — West Central Electric Cooperative has announced this year’s winners in the 2021 Rural Electric Youth Tour and Cooperative Youth Conference and Leadership Experience (CYCLE) contest.
A modified live final was Wednesday, April 7, in Higginsville with parents and teachers able to watch virtually.
The top three students were named Youth Tour winners.
The first-place winner was Cooper Hamlin of Crest Ridge High School; second-place winner was Jessica Snare of Warrensburg High School and third-place winner was Suzy Cooper of Crest Ridge High School.
Finalists winning a position as a CYCLE delegate were: Leslie Martens, Wesley Marten and Graycee Brown of Crest Ridge High School and Landry Key and Lane Rogge of Wellington-Napoleon High School.
Although the trips to Washington, D.C., and Jefferson City were canceled earlier this year, students will still get to participate in a modified conference experience.
Local winners will spend two mornings at their local cooperative, West Central Electric, and one day at their district cooperative, NW Electric Power Cooperative in Cameron.
While at the district cooperative, students will meet other Youth Tour and CYCLE delegates from cooperatives in their district.
Both conferences will include leadership activities, speakers and the ability to meet virtually with statewide Youth Tour and CYCLE coordinators from the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives.
“While we were really disappointed that neither of the trips could happen this year, we were optimistic that we could still provide a great experience for our delegates and give them something valuable even though Covid has once again prevented travel,” said WCE Youth Tour Coordinator Heather Hoflander. “Youth Tour has been modified to look more like our traditional CYCLE, which is always amazing and CYCLE will be very similar to what it always is — just in different locations with some virtual thrown in.”
“We were thrilled with the numbers, even though students knew going in that there would be no trips,” Hoflander said. “I think that is a great testament to our cooperative youth programs that we can still have great participation even without the top prize.”
A total of 43 students from four schools participated in this year’s contest.
“I think(teachers) have seen how it has benefitted their students over the years, and what they can gain from being involved with this program even if they don’t get to travel,” Hoflander said.
Winners of the Youth Tour will also receive a $2,000 scholarship in lieu of the trip to Washington, D.C.
