4/1/2014

Good vibrations infuse Youth Leadership event

   Good vibes were bouncing all over the place during the 28th annual Electric Power Associations of Mississippi Youth Leadership Workshop, held in Jackson last month.
   Over the course of the three-day event, 76 student participants representing schools across Mississippi were bombarded with positive, confidence-building messages from adults who truly
care about their future.
   Each year we invite the students’ legislators to join them for a visit over breakfast. This is often the first time most, if not all, the students have ever met face to face with their state senator or representative, and we’re proud to give them the opportunity.
   It isn’t always easy for legislators to attend our workshop breakfast; they are terribly busy people who often have to rush to early-morning committee meetings at the Capitol. Yet so many of
them tell us this annual breakfast is important to them, and they return year after year. For that we are humbled and grateful.
   We always invite the governor to speak at the workshop, and this year Gov. Phil Bryant gladly accepted, though it was tough to squeeze the appearance into his packed schedule. But he,
too, cares deeply about young people—and their potential role in Mississippi’s future.
   First of all, he encouraged the students to stay in Mississippi after college graduation and start their careers here. Mississippi is growing faster than about 40 other states in the country, he
told them, and we need their bright minds to help guide us into the future.
   Bryant said energy is a bright spot in Mississippi’s economy, with the state ranking 17th in the nation for oil and gas production.
   Also, Mississippi’s affordable energy costs are an advantage for the state in attracting new business and industry. Electric power associations play an invaluable role in keeping Mississippi’s electricity supply affordable and reliable. And all economic development opportunities depend upon a reliable source of energy at a reasonable cost.
   In closing, Bryant emphasized the value of team work to achieve success in life: “Leadership is about having a vision and getting enough people to help you accomplish that vision. You cannot do it by yourself,” he said.
   With those words, Bryant left for his interview with the media, and the students headed for an afternoon of fun, creative team-building exercises.
   Throughout the workshop, we encourage the students to express their views, ask questions and contribute to decision-making and discussion. We try to create a supportive environment in
which they feel confident to spread their wings a little, and to speak up.
   And in 28 years of workshops, they have never let us down. These students are bright leaders anyway—that’s how they win competitions to participate in our Youth Leadership program— but they seem to bloom at our workshop. They mix with scores of students they’ve never seen before but who share the same high standards of academic excellence, school and community involvement, and leadership potential.
   In fact, one of our former Youth Leadership students now wears a crown. We’ll have more about her in next month’s issue.

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