Rural Electric Cooperative recently awarded and recognized 24 area students with trips and scholarships. Ten high school seniors shared $16,000 in scholarships assisting with their college expenses. Six high school juniors received all-expense paid trips this summer- three won trips to Washington D.C. for Youth Tour and three won trips to Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. While eight eighth graders won a trip to Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperative’s Energy Camp at Canyon Camp near Hinton, Oklahoma. 

Both the Youth Tour and Energy Camp competitions were open to REC’s membership and all students attending a school within REC’s service area. Whereas, only high school seniors whose parents or legal guardians are members of REC were eligible to apply for the ten scholarships available.

To compete in the scholarship contest, students were required to complete an application, and from all applicants, the Youth Committee selected 10 finalists to interview. All finalists were selected as winners. Two students received $2,000 scholarships and eight received $1,500 each. Winners of the $2,000 scholarships were Gracie Pruitt of Purcell and Lauren Earp of Elmore City-Pernell. Scholarships of $1,500 each went to: Kaylei Clanton of Dibble; Brinley Hines and Kynlee Patterson of Elmore City-Pernell; Sidney Brooks,  Shane Jones, Aleah Scruggs and Gage Kleinsasser of Lindsay and Karlee Tolle of Purcell.

 High school juniors competing in the Youth Tour contest wrote an essay as the first step of the competition. Judges selected the top six essays as finalists. The finalists competed in a speech contest to determine the trip winners. Judges selected Abby Pettijohn of Alex; Cale Hines and Dalton Parker of Lindsay as winners for Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. These students will travel to Washington, D.C. with approximately 70 other juniors from across Oklahoma to tour our nation’s capitol.

The three runners-up won a trip near Steamboat Springs, Colorado for the Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp hosted by the Colorado Electric Cooperatives. Local winners will join students from Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming for the week-long camp. REC’s winners include Tessa Inman and Halli Harris of Lindsay and Travis Sullivan of Ninnekah.

REC’s winners to Energy Camp were selected from a large group of essays submitted by eighth graders from several area schools. The group will attend the camp with 80 other eighth graders across Oklahoma. Winners include: Kara Pettijohn and Kyleigh Waters of Alex; Marlee Inman, Alexis Gregg, Brooklynn Perry, Abriel Dodson and Cade Williams of Lindsay and Madison Moreno of Wayne.

Student winners, parents, school teachers and administrators were honored at a banquet hosted by REC recently at the Cooperative’s Multi Purpose Center in Lindsay.

REC has offered these programs to area students since 1989. Over the past 34 years REC has provided: 364 scholarships; sent 101 high school juniors to the Youth Tour in Washington, D.C.; sent 93 high school juniors to the Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp; and sent 236 eighth grade students to Energy Camp.