Elise Cornell and Tyler Lucas Receive Top Honors in
Kiwash Electric Cooperative’s Youth Tour Contest
Hard work has paid off for two high school juniors as they make plans to tour the nation’s capital this summer. Elise Cornell of Thomas Fay Custer High School and Tyler Lucas of Arapaho Butler took top honors in the Kiwash Electric Cooperative Youth Tour Contest. Each of these winners will receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C.
Elise is the daughter of Steven and Julie Cornell of Custer City . Tyler is the son of Clifford and Nancy Lucas of Butler. Elise and Tyler have an exciting fun filled week ahead of them during June 14-20. The two high school juniors will have an opportunity to become acquainted with other prominent young people from all across Oklahoma, as well as those from other states. Not only will they learn about rural electric cooperatives, they will have a better insight of American history and government. The students will meet Congressmen and Senators and tour historical sights in and around Washington D.C.
Runners-up in the contest were Dayana Barrios of Clinton High School and Chandler Smith of Hobart High School.
In order to reach the finals, the contestants had to be one of the five highest scores on a written test that had been given to approximately 67 juniors that attend a school within Kiwash Electric’s service territory. The contest concluded with a banquet at the Washita County Activity Center in Cordell, honoring the top four contestants and their families. Following the banquet, a panel of three judges conducted interviews. The contestants were scored on knowledge of the subject, speaking ability, poise and personality, and appearance.
The Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives has been an active sponsor of the Youth Tour since 1963. More than 2,700 students have been sponsored on trips to the nation’s capital in the last forty-nine years. Kiwash Electric Cooperative has been offering the Youth Tour Program for the past 32 years.