Jake Pearson got to meet some 'powerful' people while at the state capital this past week.
Alcorn Central High School nominated three juniors to interview for a opportunity to serve as representatives in the Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi Youth Leadership Program. Each school in the county had the opportunity to nominate three students. Of the 12 students nominated in the county, only two were chosen. Alcorn Central is proud to say that Jake Pearson was selected by a panel of interviewers with the Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi (ECM) to represent the Alcorn County Eclectic Power Association.
This is not the first time a student from Alcorn Central has been chosen to represent ACE Power at this level. Pearson is the third student in the last five years to be selected from Alcorn Central. The ECM Youth Leadership Program "offers young people the tools and knowledge that will enable them to sharpen their leadership skills in the classroom, community and family." It's in currently in its 34th year.
This year, students from all across the state gathered at the Mississippi State Capitol building in downtown Jackson, Mississippi for a leadership workshop. The ECM provides a description of the workshop on their website. "At this workshop, students will study the finer aspects of leadership, enjoy a first-hand look at our state government in action, sharpen their leadership skills, and hear presentations from government leaders, local business leaders and rural electric cooperative professionals."
Pearson was in Jackson for three days with this event. That is when he had the opportunity to meet State Representatives Bubba Carpenter and Nick Bain. As pictured above, he also received the privilege to become acquainted with Governor Tate Reeves. "It was an extreme honor to even be considered. After receiving it, I was beyond ecstatic to not only meet our representatives but also our governor. It was one of the best weeks of my life," said Pearson.
Along with attending the three day workshop in Jackson, these students will be given the opportunity to see the nation's capital in the latter part of June. According to the ECM website, "The Mississippi delegation will join more than 1,800 high school juniors from across the nation June 20 - 26, 2020, in Washington, D.C., for the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. During the week, they will learn about cooperatives, rural electrification, the city and government. The seven-day schedule is full of sightseeing, including all of the major monuments and memorials, the Smithsonian Museums, the Newseum and Arlington Cemetery, to name a few."
To read more about the Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi, visit their website at http://ecm.coop/.