The winning podcast team from left to right: Grace Johnson of Hartsville (Pee Dee Electric Cooperative), Salena Robinson of West Columbia (Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative) and Mackenzie Starnes of Hilton Head Island (Palmetto Electric Cooperative).
Bright moments have been fewer and further between during the COVID-19 crisis, so recognizing them is important.
The best time I’ve had during the pandemic was the week I spent with 77 high school students in the Virtual Youth Experience, a web-based conference created by South Carolina’s electric cooperatives. In June, students selected by their local cooperatives were able to engage with state leaders like U.S. Senators Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham, Gov. Henry McMaster, state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell, and state superintendent Molly Spearman in a series of virtual meetings.
As a Boomer, I prefer traditional face-to-face interactions, but I must concede that this digital discourse created opportunities these young people otherwise might not have had. It was not a passive screen experience. They asked poignant questions of our speakers that illustrated their concerns and attitudes. They interacted with each other throughout, using the application’s chat feature to enhance the discussions for everyone.
Virtual Youth Experience was a conversation, not a class. The students used the digital face time with these leaders to raise the issues their generation is confronting—the pandemic, human dignity, and race relations. Speakers like Rep. Jim Clyburn brought historical context to these discussions. They talked about mental health issues and addiction with Hootie and the Blowfish drummer Jim Sonefeld. Rev. Charles Jackson, senior pastor at Brookland Baptist Church in West Columbia, talked with the students about the importance of developing community and diverse relationships.
We didn’t want the experience of the week and these conversations to just slip away, so we challenged the students to collaborate with one another and create a short podcast about how the year’s events are impacting their generation.
From 20 powerful submissions, a panel of journalists chose the podcast created by Grace Johnson from Hartsville (Pee Dee Electric Cooperative), Salena Robinson of West Columbia (Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative) and Mackenzie Starnes of Hilton Head Island (Palmetto Electric Cooperative) as the winner of the Virtual Youth Experience Podcast Challenge. The winners each received $5,000 toward their college education.
In her comments about all of the podcasts, Cindi Ross Scoppe of The Post and Courier newspaper said she was impressed with the students’ “very grown-up perspectives” and that she heard “resiliency” from people “adapting to a very different kind of world.”
I was captivated by the podcasts and I can understand why the winning group was chosen. These three students from different parts of the state used their varied backgrounds and personalities to tell their stories. Robinson, who is African American, spoke of her encounters with “subtle racism” and said she was glad that her podcast partners also want change. Starnes, who describes herself as an introvert, said she thrived during the time of isolation. Johnson said people showed their “true colors” during the pandemic and she discovered who she could really count on.
I am encouraged that these students have perspectives that will benefit them as they move through their new world. The winning podcast concluded with advice from each member of the group.
- “I would like future generations to learn how little things make a big difference.”—Grace Johnson
- “Live life to the fullest. You never know what can happen in the blink of an eye.”—Salena Robinson.
- “Our actions are shaping the future. Take advantage of that.”—Mackenzie Starnes
Wise words from a new generation. We should all strive to be as hopeful as they are about the future.
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Now hear this—Listen to the winning Virtual Youth Experience podcast below.