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Medina EC News

Medina EC Supports Youth Fulfillment Through Education

Co-op provides Youth Tour and scholarship opportunities for area students

Cooperative Principle #7 is Concern for Community. Medina EC supports our members and their children’s education through our scholarship program and other programs like Youth Tour, where high school students get to tour our state and national capitals and meet elected officials.

Youth Tour 2020

This month, three students from Medina EC’S service area should be traveling on what is often referred to as the trip of a lifetime. But due to the coronavirus, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association made the decision to cancel the 2020 Youth Tour trip, so these students will have to wait to make memories.

The 10-day trip, which was slated to start in Austin on June 18, was to not only be educational but most definitely fun. After visiting the state Capitol, Medina EC winners were to head to Washington, D.C. Youth Tour students were to visit major landmarks, meet their elected officials, and learn about U.S. and cooperative history.

To be eligible for the trip, this year’s applicants competed in an essay contest. The topic was, “If you had a chance to sit down with a legislator (either at the state or federal level), what questions would you ask them and why?” Medina EC had an impressive response from applicants, and we are happy to announce our winners: Luke Lessing from Hondo, Johnny “Kaden” Muniz from D’Hanis and Presley Rodriguez from Pearsall. You can see some of their essay responses here.

This year’s winners will each receive a $500 scholarship after graduating high school. The board and staff are working to determine if they may also be able to attend the trip next year, and we will keep the members and students updated.

To learn more about Youth Tour, visit MedinaEC.org/YouthTour.

$25,000 in Scholarships Awarded

Twenty-five area students have an extra $1,000 to help with their education expenses next school year.

Since Medina EC’s scholarship program first began in 2000, the co-op has awarded more than $607,000 to 423 students from our service area.

The scholarship program is funded by unclaimed capital credits. When capital credits remain unclaimed for three years, they are escheated to the state of Texas. The state can then give a portion of that money back to the cooperative. This money is used to offer scholarships, promote energy efficiency and encourage local economic development. A complete list and photos of the 2020 scholarship winners can be found at MedinaEC.org/Scholarships.

If you have applied in the past and not won, watch for information on next year’s scholarship program in January or February 2021. Learn more about the scholarship program requirements and eligibility at MedinaEC.org/Scholarships.