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Beech To Represent WCEC In Washington
Katelyn "Gracie" Beech, age 18, and a senior at Yantis High School, has taken first place in Wood County Electric Cooperative's (WCEC) video contest. As the winner, she will represent WCEC at the Government in Action Youth Tour in Washington, D. C., June 7-16
, 2017
.
She was chosen based on her video submission "The Next Big Thing - My Cooperative and our Future Together". In her video titled, "Plugging In", Beech spoke about the rich cooperative heritage, and then speculated about how the demand for electricity will only grow with the adoption of the modern conveniences used by her generation.
Gracie is the President of the Yantis FFA and the Vice President of Area VI FFA Association and has held past officer's position in the Mineola District. She competes in a variety of FFA events including showing of market lambs and public speaking. She is a member of the Yantis volleyball team and participates in Academic UIL, BETA Club, and the Gifted and Talented Program. She is also the Treasurer of the Spanish Club, and attends the
Seymour Bible Fellowship Church.
One of Gracie's stated missions in life is to inspire others to be leaders. To do that, upon graduation, she plans to attend Texas A&M in Commerce where she wishes to study Agricultural Communications.
Beech will travel to Washington, D.C. with approximately 150 other Youth Tour winners from other Texas cooperatives. She will have the opportunity to meet congressional representatives, and visit historic memorials and cultural centers in our nations' capitol.
Gracie is the daughter of WCEC members Shannon and Kristi Beech, of Quitman. She has an older brother Dylan, and she is the granddaughter of Freddie and Linda Fisher of Yantis, and Norma Beech of Quitman.
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BUILDING FUTURE LEADERS
WCEC to Sponsor 10 Teens at Leadership Camp
Wood County Electric Cooperative (WCEC), along with eight other east Texas electric cooperatives, is once again presenting the annual East Texas Rural Electric Youth Seminar (ETREYS), a teen leadership camp.
This year, ETREYS be held from June 26- June 30 at East Texas Baptist University in Marshall. WCEC will send 10 students, all expenses paid, to join about 150 others from across east Texas, sponsored by other electric cooperatives, for the experience of a lifetime.
To be eligible for one of WCEC's spots, teens must be high school sophomores or juniors who are attending school within the 9-county WCEC service area. Participants are selected on the basis of overall excellence and involvement in extracurricular activities, academic awards, and civic involvement.
While at ETREYS students can expect to participate in workshops, seminars, and peer group activities that range from leadership development to pure entertainment. Nationally-known personalities, industry leaders and community leaders are scheduled to speak at this year's event. Additionally, each student has a chance to compete for scholarships.
WCEC is committed to our community and the education and growth of our students. Sending students to ETREYS is just another way to further that commitment. Students interested in applying for the program can download the ETREYS application at
wcec.org under the community tab. The deadline to submit an application is April 19, 2017.
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$25K in College Scholarships to be Awarded
Scholarship applications are being accepted
from area students for one of WCEC's scholarships. For 2017, WCEC is offering ten $2,000 scholarships for high school students, and one $5,000 electrical engineering scholarship for a college junior studying electrical engineering. To be eligible, applicants must be members or dependents of active WCEC members.
Applications and eligibility requirements can be found at wcec.org under the community tab. The deadline for applications is April 7, 2017.
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Safety Tips
Don't toy with your safety!
When you are outdoors, keep a safe distance from power lines, substations, and other equipment that is used to send electricity.
Flying remote controlled toys are a great way to have fun, but accidentally making contact with a power line or other electrical equipment can be dangerous and in some cases even deadly.
* Never fly kites, drones, and/or remote controlled
toys near
power lines.
* Stay away from power lines, meters, transformers, and electrical boxes.
* Never climb trees near power lines.
* If you get something stuck in a power line, call WCEC at 903-763-2203 to
remove it.
* And always assume a downed power line is electrified, keep a safe distance of at
least 33 feet. The ground and objects around it can also be electrified.
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Energy Efficiency Tips
Warmer weather is on the way! Using energy efficient window treatments or coverings, like blinds, shades and films, can reduce the heat that comes into your home. Not only can these treatments or coverings improve the look of your home they can also reduce energy costs.
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