Coast Electric has selected four outstanding high school juniors to represent the cooperative in the Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi’s 2026 Cooperative Youth Leaders program. The four students selected to represent Coast Electric in 2026 program are:
• Natalie Crider, Biloxi High School
• Blake Henley, St. Stanislaus
• Asa Jones, St. Stanislaus
• Cadence Owen, Poplarville High School
Last week, 22 juniors from high schools across Hancock, Harrison, and Pearl River counties were nominated to participate in Cooperative University to be considered for selection. Following a day of learning and team building activities, along with an interview with a panel of judges, four students were chosen to serve as Coast Electric’s representatives in the 2026 Cooperative Youth Leaders program. These students will join other young leaders from across the state at a three-day Leadership Workshop in Jackson, Miss., in February 2026. In June 2026, they will travel to Washington, D.C., to take part in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Youth Tour.
These students have incredibly bright futures, and we are proud to have them represent Coast Electric on the state and national levels.