The banquet was held in honor of the four winners of the contest who were selected through a judging process, Cheryl Mills, youth tour coordinator for Cookson Hills Electric, said.
The winning students will go on a weeklong all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. in June. Students are given the opportunity to tour political and governmental landmarks and monuments, as well as museums and other points of interest.
The tours are designed to give the students a better knowledge and appreciation of the country's history and how today's lawmakers run it. It is a first-hand look at government in action for the students and they learn more about rural electrification and the value of the rural electric cooperative, Mills said.
The two Sequoyah County winners are:
Colton Watterson, a junior at Sallisaw High School and son of Duane and Cindy Watterson of Sallisaw.
Kelly V. Couchman, a junior at Vian High School and daughter of Paul and Cindy Couchman of Vian.
The winners will travel with Marsha Scott, a teacher from Gans High School, who will accompany the students to Washington, D.C. Cookson Hills Electric will also sponsor Scott, Mills said.
The topic of the speech the students had to make was "What Is an Electric Cooperative." Each of the winning students presented their essays in speech form for the guests, the board of directors and management of Cookson Hills Electric at the banquet. Each student received a plaque in honor of his or her efforts and accomplishment.
Mills said Cookson Hills Electric Cooperative Inc. thanks all people involved in making the contest a success this year. "A special thanks goes to the faculties of the different schools who worked hard to encourage the students to write an essay for the contest," Mills said.
The contest is open to all junior students in the Cookson Hills Electric Cooperative Inc. service territory.
