WRVEC student members head to Washington D.C.
Three area students will represent White River Valley Electric Cooperative and travel to Washington, D.C., with the national Youth Tour on June 8-14.
![2018 Youth Tour Winners](https://www.whiteriver.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/YT-2018-Winners-300x200.jpg)
The 2018 Youth Tour winners, from left to right, who will represent WRVEC in Washington, D.C., in June, are Zach Short, Sophia Jackson and Stephen Copeland.
![2018 Youth Tour Finalists](https://www.whiteriver.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/YT-2018-Finalists-300x200.jpg)
The 2018 Youth Tour finalists from left to right are (FR) Grace Loden, Loren Mahan, Shana Williamson, Autumn Alden, Sophia Jackson and Taylor Loveland. (BR) Justice Webber, Bryce Anderson, Hunter Schridde, Zach Short, Alex Argent and Stephen Copeland.
Three area students will represent White River Valley Electric Cooperative and travel to Washington, D.C., with the national Youth Tour on June 8-14. The winners are Zach Short from Spokane High School, Sophia Jackson from Nixa High School, and Stephen Copeland from Ava High School. They were chosen from 12 finalists at a banquet on April 6 at the Keeter Center on College of the Ozarks campus.
The other nine finalists were Bryce Anderson, Hollister; Grace Loden, Trinity Christian Academy; Alex Argent, Gainesville; Hunter Schridde, Bradleyville; Taylor Loveland, Chadwick; Justice Webber, Branson, Loren Mahan, Forsyth; Autumn Alden, School of the Ozarks; and Shana Williamson, Abundant Life Homeschool.
High school juniors from participating schools across WRVEC’s five-county service area each submitted an essay or video that answered the question, “In 100 years, what do you want to be your life’s legacy?”
One winner from each participating school was chosen by a panel of three judges. The first round judge panel included Leon Combs, local author and businessman; Daphne Marshall, local business woman and community volunteer; and Carol Shell Harris, public relations and freelance writer.
Each of the twelve finalists took a quiz about electric cooperatives and presented their essay or video in front of friends, family and a second panel of judges at the banquet- Janet Ellis, KRZK on-air radio personality; Robin Jackson of Jackson+Appleton video production services; Chris Massman from the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives and two of the returning winners of 2017, Lance Junck and Victoria Walling.
Three winners were announced at the close of the evening. Short, Jackson and Copeland will join more than 1,200 other winners from electric cooperatives across the country for an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., where they will tour national monuments, visit with elected officials and experience government in action.
The full photo album can be viewed at: http://bit.ly/WRVECYouthTour2018