Congratulations to Meranda Gruber who will represent Guthrie County REC on Youth Tour this month!

Meranda is a junior at Adair Casey & Guthrie Center High School and the daughter of Renee and Jeremy Gruber of Guthrie Center. Jeremy is Guthrie County REC’s line foreman.

“I’m very excited to get the chance to go this year,” Meranda said. “I read into it, and it sounded really fun, so I decided to apply.”

Guthrie County REC is one of several participating cooperatives across Iowa that annually sends a student representative for the National Electric Cooperative Youth Tour in Washington, D.C.

Iowa’s delegation is coordinated through the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives, which plans student visits to the offices of U.S. representatives and senators, federal agencies, and other educational and sightseeing activities. It’s an opportunity focused on developing leadership skills while learning more about the cooperative business model.

“Being able to go on this trip will help me grow in my leadership skills and get more outside of my comfort zone,” Meranda said. “I’m currently unsure of what I want to do after high school, but I know I want to be able to help and serve people. And I feel this experience will give me better insight into the issues facing electric cooperatives today.”

This year’s Youth Tour trip will take place June 14-20.