By Staff Report
West Florida Electric Cooperative (WFEC) recently announced this year’s 2026 WFEC Youth Tour winners: Berklee Neel, a junior at Blountstown High School and Logan Killingsworth, a junior at Bethlehem High School. Additionally, Bryce Newton of Malone School was named the alternate winner.
Neel and Killingsworth have won an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. and will represent WFEC on the National Rural Electric Youth Tour trip taking place June 15-20. They will travel with other students from Florida to meet with hundreds of other high school juniors from across the country to tour the nation’s Capital and learn more about leadership, government, and cooperatives.
Neel and Killingsworth also won $1,000 college scholarships to use at any college, university, or technical school of their choice, while Newton won a $500 scholarship. Other local students participating in the Youth Tour program this year include: Harmony Tillman, Altha School; Jamison Trolard, Chipley High School; Morgan Hunter, Cottondale High School; Kinsley Parker, Holmes County High School; and Wilson Meyers of Jackson County.
The purpose of Youth Tour is to get students out of the classroom and familiarize them with the utility that brings electricity to their lives. They also get a first-hand look at the activities of the government at state and national levels. Program coordinators state this is a great opportunity for the students to meet people, experience new things, and travel. WFEC has participated in Youth Tour since 1979, sending students almost every year since.
For more information about the Youth Tour program, visit www.westflorida.coop.
