Local Juniors Selected for Cooperative Leadership Trips

Five high school juniors were awarded 2015 Gold and Silver youth trip awards by TCEC on March 2. The recipients were selected through an application and interview process for all-expense paid youth leadership trips this summer to either Washington, D.C., or Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Following the sixth universal cooperative principle of Cooperation Among Cooperatives, TCEC invited two employees from Victory Electric Cooperative in Dodge City, Kansas, to independently judge the competition. Jerri Imgarten, manager of marketing and communications, and her colleague Micaela Morales, member relations coordinator, came in person perform the interviews and present the awards.

The judges said they were impressed by the communication skills, cooperative knowledge and business dress of the applicants.

TCEC’s three Gold Award recipients will join 1,500 students from across the United States in Washington, D.C., to attend the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Youth Tour from June 11-18. During this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the students will meet their representatives, visit national monuments and forge new friendships. The Gold Award delegates TCEC will send to Youth Tour are:

· Mario Figueroa, Guymon High School

· Isai Lara-Ramirez, Turpin High School

· Lesley Alvarado, Hooker High School

Two silver award recipients will join 100 other students on a trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, July 11-17. The leadership camp is filled with activities such as whitewater rafting, fishing and sessions in developing leadership skills. The Silver Award delegates TCEC will send to the Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp are:

· David Salcedo, Guymon High School

· Sarah Schaffer, Hooker High School

“These trips offer our youth an experience to remember for a lifetime,” said Chris Purdy, vice president, Member Solutions at TCEC.

Anyone interested in learning more about TCEC leadership trips can visit www.tcec.coop .

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