Mason Thomas uses a lineman's gloves to turn a screw.
This summer, South Carolina’s electric cooperatives sent 45 high school students to Columbia to gain firsthand experience in state government and community service.
This year’s Cooperative Youth Summit saw students engage with state lawmakers, explore the challenges and opportunities of the democratic process, and learn more about the electric cooperatives that serve their communities.
Among the interactive experiences was a bucket truck ride during a tour of Newberry Electric Cooperative.
"When that bucket started rising, my stomach dropped,” said Roméo Miller, a senior from Spartanburg. “But then I saw power lines, and it hit me—this is what cooperation looks like from above. It's all connected, just like us."
A highlight of the summit was the Orators' Arena, a new public speaking contest in which the students competed in groups to sway their peers on a public policy position.
Under the tutelage of retired ECSC Executive Vice President and noted public speaker Lou Green, the groups researched their topics, created slideshows and presented their case to a packed boardroom on the summit’s final day.
Five students each won $1,000 scholarships for arguing against offering incentives to the electric vehicle industry. The winners were:
- Ashytn Poston – Aiken Electric Cooperative
- Griff Jackson – Berkeley Electric Cooperative
- Josie McCotter – Laurens Electric Cooperative
- McCallie Brown – Horry Electric Cooperative
- Peyton Sellers - York Electric Cooperative
"These 45 students arrived as individuals. They left as a network of empowered young leaders,” said ECSC’s Van O'Cain, who works with Chase Toler to organize the annual four-day youth experience. “That's the cooperative difference in action."
A photo gallery of the experience can be found here.
