Hancock-Wood Electric is committed to supporting our youth and strengthening the communities we serve. Guided by our seventh cooperative principle, Concern for Community, we proudly uphold this commitment through our annual scholarship and Youth Tour programs. This year, we expanded our efforts by introducing three new scholarships for students pursuing trade school education after high school. We are honored to recognize an outstanding group of students and are proud to present the following awards:

Children of Members Scholarships

1st place: Hank Walters, Cory-Rawson High School,  was awarded $3,500.

2nd place: Lucas Crates, Findlay High School,  was awarded $3,000.

Six students received Honorable Mention and were awarded $2,000 each:

• Caroline Bryan, McComb High School

• Dylan Shaheen, Arlington High School

• Zachary Lammers, Leipsic High School

• Lane Hill, Carey High School

• Adin Metzger, Bowling Green High School

• Ava Tassler, Napoleon High School

New this year, HWE awarded three $1,000 Trade School Scholarships to the following students:

• Odessa Musgrave, Vanlue High School

• Phinehas Snoke, Homeschooled

• Brady Lance, Van Buren High School

The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour traces its origins to NRECA’s 1957 Annual Meeting, when then-Sen. Lyndon Baines Johnson said in his address to the association, “If one thing comes out of this meeting, it will be sending youngsters to the national capital, where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents.” More than 100,000 young people from all over the country have participated in this annual trip to Washington, D.C. This year’s delegates will be going on the trip to Washington with students from the other Ohio cooperatives from June 14 to 20.  

The following sophomores were selected as our 2026 Youth Tour delegates:

• Reagan Wenzinger, Leipsic High School

• Jillian Heacock, Arlington High School

• Becca Hathaway, Patrick Henry High School