High school students in Butler, Lowndes, and Dallas counties are eligible to apply for a variety of forthcoming experiences and scholarships offered by Pioneer Electric Cooperative, Inc. These opportunities and scholarships include the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour, two Lineworker Scholarships, and seven Traditional Student Scholarships.
According to Pioneer Electric, the Youth Tour program provides junior high school students with the opportunity to have first-hand experience with government by traveling to the capitals of both the state and the nation and participating in interactive workshops and debates. During their trip to Montgomery and Washington, D.C., student delegates are given the opportunity to make friends that will last a lifetime, develop leadership skills, meet lawmakers and other influential people, and construct college resumes. This trip leaves a lasting impression on the student delegates. Christi Scruggs, the Director of Communications for Pioneer Electric, stated that these initiatives that benefit the young people also benefit the community as a whole, and that Pioneer is committed to ensuring that the leaders of the future are equipped with the tools necessary to have a significant effect on the future. Despite the fact that the trip to Washington, District of Columbia, is the final reward, Scruggs stated that all participants in the Youth Tour get significant experience through the application process, the creation of a résumé, and the interviewing process. In addition to this, they will have the chance to interact with other students from all around our service area and acquire knowledge about our sector in a manner that is both entertaining and interesting. All high school juniors attending any school in the counties of Butler, Dallas, Lowndes, and Wilcox are eligible to participate in the Youth Tour competition with their schools. Students who are homeschooled are also eligible to apply if their primary residence is located within the service area of Pioneer Electric Cooperative. Each and every application will be evaluated to determine eligibility. The applications will be evaluated by a group of impartial judges, who will then select the students who will take part in the interview component of the competition. Six students will be chosen as the winners of the trip to the Montgomery Youth Tour, which will take place from March 12-14, and two participants will be chosen as the winners of the trip to Washington, D.C., which will take place from June 17-23. Both trips will be completely paid for out of pocket. Apply for the youth tour by going to www.pioneerelectric.com/youth-tour. All applications must be received by the deadline of January 8 at 4:00 p.m. Interviews are scheduled for the 16th of January. Christi Scruggs can be reached at (334) 382-4904 or cscruggs@pioneerelectric.com for individuals who are interested in information. The Pioneer Electric Lineworker Scholarships are open to high school seniors who are graduating and will run for the opportunity to compete for two scholarships worth $5,000 each. All applicants must have attended a high school in Butler, Dallas, Lowndes, or Wilcox counties that has been granted accreditation. The program provides financial assistance to students who are enrolled in a lineworker training program that is accredited and lasts for fifteen weeks. It will be up to an impartial committee to choose the recipients of the scholarships. Students who are seniors in high school and intend to continue their education at post-secondary or vocational/technical institutions are eligible to receive one of seven $1,000 educational scholarships from Pioneer Electric.All recipients must be dependents of Pioneer Electric members and must be enrolled in a school that has been granted accreditation in the counties of Butler, Dallas, Lowndes, or Wilcox.
