Last week, twelve high school seniors from around the Basin were sponsored by STRATA to attend a weeklong leadership camp at Snow College. The group was led by recent Union High School graduate, Mailoni Lutui, who attended the camp last summer and was voted to return as the 2019 Youth Director representing STRATA.
The Michael F. Peterson Youth Leadership Challenge is a student conference that is paid for by participating members of the Utah Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (URECA). Being a telecommunications cooperative, STRATA is an affiliate of URECA and has chosen to sponsor students to attend the camp for decades.
The camp has grown exponentially over the years and now brings together nearly 150 students representing different areas in rural Utah, Wyoming, and Nevada. The students who attended with STRATA included Aspen Mitchell (Altamont High), Erin Migliori (Uintah High), Hailey Petersen (Union High), Jade Hopp (Uintah High), Jaxon Miller (Union High), JT Potter (Duchesne High), Krysta Spencer (Duchesne High), Landon Rhoades (Tabiona High), Macee Adamson (Union High), Miranda Mansfield (Uintah High), Tanner Miles (Union High), and Zeanna Bateman (Tabiona High).
The week was spent developing leadership skills, participating in teambuilding activities, and learning about how cooperatives like STRATA function. The group heard from motivational speakers including Paralympics Gold Medalist and author Mike Schlappi, social media activist Collin Kartchner, professional DJ and entertainer Rob Ferre, and the Uintah Basin’s very own Sidney Smith, a double amputee who spoke about overcoming fear.
On the final evening of the camp, STRATA presented two students with scholarships. Mailoni Lutui, STRATA’s returning Youth Director, received a $1,000 scholarship and Aspen Mitchell received a second scholarship for $500.
“There is no better investment than the investment in our youth,” said Bruce Todd, General Manager/CEO of STRATA. “We feel it is a privilege to provide opportunities for our students to develop new skills that will help prepare them for their futures and we hope that they bring those skills back to the Basin to make it a better place.”
High school juniors interested in attending next year’s camp can apply with STRATA next spring when the application period is open. For more information, please contact Tyler Rasmussen at (435) 622-5007.
STRATA NETWORKS is the leading telecommunications provider in the Uintah Basin, providing advanced voice, broadband, television, and nationwide wireless services. The company is headquartered in Roosevelt, Utah with a coverage area extending in to a
tri-state region, serving over 60,000 customers. STRATA celebrates over 60 years of technology expertise, exceptional customer relations, and a devout corporate social responsibility to its community. The company functions as a local cooperative, in which customers can also become member owners of the company who may receive patronage dividends and participate in company voting processes. More information is available at www.stratanetworks.com.