Kourtnee Henderson of Simpsonville has been selected to receive a $2,500 scholarship through the 2026 R.D. Bennett Community Service Scholarship program, presented by The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, the trade association for South Carolina’s independent, not-for-profit electric cooperatives.

Henderson, 17, is being honored for her community service project, “Brightstart Foundation Back-to-School Drive.”

Henderson was among high school students from across the state who created, led and completed community service projects this summer. The grand prize winner, Alena Goveas of Lexington, received a $5,000 scholarship for her project, “Senior Summer Self-Care.”

“This is unique because we’ve rarely awarded a second-place prize,” said Van O’Cain, public and member relations director for The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina. “But Kourtnee was deserving of recognition because of how hard she worked on her project and its impact on the students she helped.”

In addition to creating her own nonprofit organization, Brightstart, which gives young people opportunities to volunteer, Henderson collected thousands of back-to-school supplies and delivered them to Washington Center, a Greenville County school that serves students with intellectual and physical disabilities.

“The most rewarding part of the project was seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces when they received their supplies,” said Henderson. “Knowing that something I organized had a direct, visible impact on their excitement going into the school year made all of the planning and coordination worth it.”

Henderson completed her project after attending the electric cooperatives’ annual Washington Youth Tour, which sends rising high school seniors to Washington, D.C., for a week each summer. She was one of six local students selected by Laurens Electric Cooperative to attend the trip. A total of 69 students from across South Carolina participated.

Henderson is a senior at Fountain Inn High School.

The R.D. Bennett Community Service Scholarship is named for Robert D. Bennett, the first general manager and executive vice president of The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina. Bennett, who led the state association from 1950 until his retirement in 1980, strongly believed that electric cooperatives should support their local communities—providing a better quality of life for their members. His spirit of community service is reflected in this scholarship opportunity.

View Henderson's final project report here.