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OEC Crowns 2019 Youth Tour Winners
By Brianna Wall
OEC awarded all-expenses-paid trips to eight extremely talented high school juniors during the 2019 Youth Tour Banquet held March 28. The top four finishers — Caleb Coodey, a homeschool student from South Oklahoma City, Jackson Caves from Amber- Pocasset High School, Madison Smith from Blanchard High School and Alexea Burroughs from Norman's Community Christian School — won a seven-day trip to Washington, D.C. on Oklahoma's Youth Tour. The other finalists — Tylor Brown from Minco High School, Madison Buchanan from Community Christian School, Paige Langford from Newcastle High School and Conrad Moffatt from Lexington High School — won trips to Camp RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards). Both trips will occur this summer.
This year’s contest prompt was reflective of OEC’s mission to improve our members’ quality of life through the safe delivery of highly reliable, reasonably priced electric service, innovative energy programs and exceptional member service. OEC provides electricity to its members, but that is not what makes us a co-op. A cooperative is a self-help organization founded to satisfy the unmet needs of the members it serves.
Youth Tour contest applicants were asked to apply the cooperative business model to an unmet need or problem in their community and write a business proposal. Finalists created PowerPoint presentations and “pitched” their co-op business idea in front of OEC trustees, senior staff, representatives from their schools, their families and three independent judges.
“I am impressed by all the applicants and their passion for service,” said Tory Tedder-Loffland, OEC's education and outreach programs director.
As the cornerstone of OEC's youth and leadership programs, Youth Tour has evolved over the years to encourage students to utilize technology to aid their presentations.
"We believe [these aspects of the program] will benefit these students as they enter the world of higher education and, eventually, the workforce," said Tedder-Loffland.
The panel of judges included KorDale Lornes, assistant director of marketing and communications at Red River Valley Electric Association, one of OEC's 27 sister co-ops located in Marietta, Oklahoma; Kelly Wells, director of planning and communication for Norman Regional Health System; and Jack Ferrell, retired manager of marketing and member services at OEC.
As winners of the 2019 Youth Tour, Burroughs, Caves, Coodey, and Smith will travel to the nation's capital in June along with 70 of their peers from across the state — those 70 others will have also won their local electric co-op's Youth Tour contests. They will spend the week touring Washington, D.C.'s historic monuments and museums, meeting with Oklahoma's Congressional delegation and making new, lifelong friends.
While at Camp RYLA, Brown, Buchanan, Langford and Moffatt will learn improved techniques of leadership. Their enthusiasm and technique are brought back to their communities, where their positive influence impacts those around them. RYLA introduces a large number of young people and their families to the Rotary ideals of service each year. It helps bridge the communication gap between the generations and helps improve relationships among youth groups, families and the community.
"I am confident OEC will be very well represented both in Washington, D.C. and at Camp RYLA," said OEC CEO Patrick Grace. "The board and I are happy to support programs that encourage our next generation of co-op members to dream big and become the community leaders we know they are capable of becoming."
