Indian Electric Cooperative awards Touchstone Energy Leadership Scholarships to Keely Roberts and Hannah Perrin Pawnee High School senior Keely Roberts and Mannford High School senior Hannah Perrin joined students from across the state as the Indian Electric Cooperative (IEC) representatives for this year’s Touchstone Energy Leadership Summit. The January 17th summit in Oklahoma City, organized by Touchstone Energy Cooperatives including IEC taught the core components of leadership. The summit was lead by leadership training professional, Rhett Laubach of YourNextSpeaker, LLC. Laubach’s leadership experiences through unique circumstances, add a multitude of profound and powerful leadership lessons that few presenters have the opportunity to share. Participants worked in small groups throughout the fast paced one day summit. Keely Roberts recalled a teamwork “teaching experience” requiring their 6 member group to recreate a photograph with their bodies. Roberts said, “Our group reproduced a live Mt. Rushmore. The four boys posed in order and focus as the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Keely and the 2nd girl teammate covered their heads with the hood of their grey leadership summit Hoodies and faced the opposite direction, creating the grey top of Mt. Rushmore”. Roberts said, “I’m quiet, and was surprised that I was chosen to be the leader of many of the small groups that day. The leadership skill of accepting input from the entire team was a new skill I learned that day. The learning atmosphere of the summit gave me confidence to try new leadership skills”. Hannah Perrin said “being a good leader by being a good role model is a principal I have taken to heart. “Most importantly, be cautious of being prideful. A good leader realizes and acknowledges the team involved in accomplishing the goals.” Lastly, Perrin said, “when making decisions, I have learned to make them as though I am a leader. That direction challenged and empowered me.” Both Roberts and Perrin agreed they left the summit with more confidence and new knowledge to positively affect their futures and their community. Roberts, is the daughter of Hope and Travis Roberts of Pawnee. Hannah Perrin is the daughter of Kendra and Jason Welborn of Sand Springs. Both students were selected for this scholarship award and leadership summit following their participation in the annual Indian Electric Cooperative Youth Tour contest that took place during their high school junior year. Each summit participant received a $250.00 college scholarship. All summit participants were entered into a drawing for a chance to win an additional $1,000.00 scholarship during the OKC Barons Hockey game that evening. IEC congratulates Keely Roberts and Hannah Perrin wishing each every success in their leadership roles High school juniors motivated to earn IEC college scholarship consideration must qualify in the IEC Youth Tour essay and speech contest during their junior year. Information regarding Youth Tour is available online at www.iecok.com or by contacting Clara Eulert, Youth Tour program coordinator.