Trees. Chilly spring breezes. And the chance to learn and share with dozens of peers in a mountain retreat setting. These are a few of the things that three high school students from Community Electric Cooperative’s service territory got to experience recently at the Virginia Institute on Cooperative Education (VICE)
Ava Joyner from Suffolk Christian School in Windsor, Will Partin from Stonebridge School in Suffolk, and Jailyn Snipe from Lakeland High School in Suffolk are participating in CEC’s Youth Program. VICE, the second of the program’s three major events, is a three-day educational program sponsored by the Virginia Cooperative Council of which CEC is a member. As the Council describes it, VICE is “a leadership conference to educate high school juniors and seniors about cooperatives and the co-op form of business through interactive instruction …. Students gain teamwork, leadership and communication skills.”
This year’s conference was held from March 21-23 at Graves Mountain Lodge near the Shenandoah National Park.
“I am thrilled for Ava, Will and Jailyn, and very proud of the commitment they’re making to better themselves as young adults and to learn about the world in which cooperatives like Community Electric operate,” said CEC Manager of Communications Jessica Parr. “While there’s some down time and a chance to enjoy their beautiful surroundings with fellow students, VICE is a fairly intensive introduction to this segment of the business sector. They represented themselves and our cooperative very well.”
Joyner, Partin and Snipe were selected for CEC’s Youth Program based on their commitment to our community, academic excellence, and enthusiasm for participating in the program. Over the winter, they participated in CEC’s Day in the Life of a Lineman training event. And this summer, they will travel in and around the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area for the week-long Youth Tour event that will draw hundreds of students from across the nation from families served by electric cooperatives.
Upon attending all three events and completing the program requirements, the three students each will receive a $1,000 academic scholarship and can direct a $500 donation to a local 501(c)(3) organization of their choice within CEC’s service area.
“Community Electric takes great pride in being able to make the Youth Program’s unique educational events available to young people in our area,” Parr said. “These are events that can provide long-lasting memories and help shape careers for decades to come. We couldn’t be happier that Ava, Will and Jailyn are getting to experience them as they prepare to make some important decisions about their futures.”