SAYRE, OK——Northfork Electric’s 2026 Youth Tour delegates emerged from four finalists on Thursday, February 5 during the cooperative’s annual Youth Tour Contest finals round.
Justus Brittain and Sophia York, juniors from Cheyenne High School and Reydon High School, were named winners of the contest. Justus in a student in Ms. Lia Hillman’s English class and Sophia is a student with Mrs. Destiny Jeffries.
“It is our goal with the opportunity to educate our youth about the history of rural electrification, member- owned electric cooperatives and the seven cooperative principles,” said Connie Ferrero, NFEC’s Youth Services Coordinator. “This year’s finalists prepared well for the contest and shared a great deal of knowledge and enthusiasm during their interviews.”
As Youth Tour winners, Brittain and York will each receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C. June 13-19 2026 with delegations of other co-op students from across the country. During their trip to Washington D.C., the youth will visit the capital city’s many memorials and museums, Mount Vernon, the Arlington Cemetery and much more. The group will also have the opportunity to visit with many elected officials.
Runners-up in the local contest were Jessica Ochoa from Hammon and Kimberlyn Denney from Cheyenne. Denney is also a student of Ms. Hillman and Ochoa is taught by Ms. Mary Cole. As runners-up, both Ochoa and Denney will receive a $500 scholarship.
NFEC’s Youth Tour Contest officially began earlier in the school year when 11th grade students in the NFEC service territory were asked to write an essay about an important event that occurred in our nation during their lifetime and how it affected them. The four contest finalists were chosen based on their essays. The finalists presented their essays and completed an interview during the Youth Tour finals round at NFEC headquarters in Sayre. A panel of independent judges determined the winners based on the finalists’ interviews, including their presentation of self and knowledge of electric cooperatives.
“We couldn’t be more delighted with the judges’ decision. All four of these students will make exceptional representatives of their schools, NFEC and the state of Oklahoma,” said Ferrero.
The NFEC Youth Tour contest is open each year to all 11th grade students who live or attend school in the NFEC service territory. Details for the 2027 contest will come out when the 2026-27 school year begins.
