Due West teen selected for Virtual Youth Experience
Savannah Wojtkowski
This month a local student will go virtual, meet with some of our state’s leaders, and earn a $1,000 scholarship thanks to Little River Electric Cooperative.
Savannah Wojtkowski, a junior at Dixie High School in Due West, will participate in the Virtual Youth Experience, a web conference hosted by South Carolina’s electric cooperatives June 21–25. The teen was selected by Little River Electric to participate in the event which allows dozens of high school students from across the state to engage with state leaders from the safety and comfort of their homes using computers and smartphones.
“The success of Virtual Youth Experience is now being modeled across the nation,” says Mike Ellis, Little River Electric’s general manager. “These interactions with lawmakers and leaders can be memorable and moving, even if they are through screens. We’re glad to be able to provide such an opportunity to these bright young students.”
The students also will compete for $5,000 scholarships by working in teams to create a podcast. This year’s podcast challenge asks the students to finish the sentence, “My country is…” Participants in Virtual Youth Experience also will have the opportunity to earn the R.D. Bennett Community Service Scholarship, worth $5,000.
Wojtkowski is a member of the National Honor Society and active in many of her school’s clubs such as Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Future Farmers of America, Due West Robotics, and Girl’s Bible Study. She is planning a future career in civil engineering and has narrowed her college selection to four major universities.
“Savannah has a long list of impressive credentials and appears to have her goals in sight,” says Ellis. “Little River Electric is proud to have her represent our cooperative.”
In addition to Wojtkowski being chosen to participate in the Virtual Youth Experience, Little River Electric is awarding her a $1,000 scholarship.
Smith receives $1,000 scholarship
Maddison Smith
Little River Electric also has awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Maddison Smith of Plum Branch, a senior at Calhoun Falls Charter School.
Last year, Smith was selected to attend the 2020 Washington Youth Tour before it was canceled due to COVID-19. Smith participated in the 2020 Virtual Youth Experience and would have had the opportunity to go to Washington had this year’s Youth Tour not been canceled.
She plans to attend Piedmont Technical College this fall.
