Area Students Represent White River Valley Electric Cooperative at Statewide Leadership Conference
Pictured Left to Right: 2026 CYCLE delegates: Hailey Barber (Reeds Spring), Kyler Moree (Sparta), Karter Shofner (Hollister), Shelby Padilla (Reeds Spring), and Emerson Robinson (School of the Ozarks).
Branson, Missouri –
Five area high school students joined more than 100 students from across Missouri at the Missouri State Capitol to attend the Cooperative Youth Conference and Leadership Experience (CYCLE).
White River Valley Electric Cooperative (WRVEC) sponsored five local delegates to attend the conference: Hailey Barber (Reeds Spring), Kyler Moree (Sparta), Karter Shofner (Hollister), Shelby Padilla (Reeds Spring), and Emerson Robinson (School of the Ozarks).
“[CYCLE] was one of those few experiences that I wish I could do for the first time again,” said Kyler Moree, a Sparta High School sophomore.
The four-day annual event, hosted by the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives (AMEC), was held July 14-17 in Jefferson City. AMEC provides Missouri sophomores and juniors with the opportunity to learn what it is like to serve in political leadership positions, get involved in community service, and gain a better understanding of the cooperative business model.
CYCLE delegates participated in a variety of leadership and educational activities throughout the conference. The program included nationally known speakers, including Rachel’s Challenge and Dan Meers, better known as KC Wolf. Students also spent time at the Missouri State Capitol learning how a bill becomes a law, participated in leadership activities, and competed in hands-on cooperative challenges designed to teach teamwork, communication, and decision-making.
Added Hollister High School representative, Karter Shofner, “The trip was truly one of one. Lifelong memories, lifelong lessons, and lifelong friends are just some of the many things I got the pleasure to experience during this opportunity.”
Sponsoring students through CYCLE is one way WRVEC invests in developing future leaders in the communities it serves. To be eligible for the annual CYCLE Contest, students must (1) be a high school sophomore and attend a high school within WRVEC’s five-county service territory or (2) be home-schooled within WRVEC’s five-county service territory, between 15-16 years of age, and be at a sophomore level equivalent. Their family does not need to be a member of the Cooperative, but they must attend a school in the service territory.
Applications for the 2027 CYCLE Contest will be available in March 2027.
For more information about CYCLE, visit www.whiteriver.org/community/youth-programs/cycle/.
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About White River Valley Electric Cooperative
White River Valley Electric Cooperative is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative dedicated to ensuring our members receive safe and reliable service in their homes and businesses across five southwest Missouri counties including Ozark, Taney, Stone, Christian and Douglas.
