News & Events

Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative’s 2026 Washington Youth Tour participant Alena Goveas of Lexington has been named the recipient of the 2026 R.D. Bennett Community Service Scholarship, presented by The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina.

Goveas, a senior at River Bluff High School, was surprised by MCEC and ECSC leaders with news of the award today at her school. The $5,000 scholarship is presented to a South Carolina high school student whose community service project best exemplifies the cooperative principle of “concern for community.”

Goveas, 17, was among a group of high school students from across the state who completed community service projects this summer. A panel of judges selected her project, “Senior Summer Self-Care,” as the winner.

Goveas created, planned and solicited donations for a wellness fair for seniors at Lexington Medical Extended Care. Activities at the fair included board and card games, arts and crafts, music, puzzles and more. The activities promoted five core areas of wellness: physical, emotional, social, intellectual and financial wellness.

Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative, along with other community organizations and supporters, provided supplies to help Goveas bring the project to life. She also secured more than $800 worth of snacks and refreshments for those attending the fair.

“The most rewarding part of being a leader was seeing the impact of my project on the residents at LMC Extended Care,” said Goveas. “I was even more overjoyed to see their faces and responses as they were experiencing the event.”

“This was a fantastic idea, not only to spend time with seniors, but to bridge the gap between generations,” said one of the judges. “It makes me so happy to see the joy and experiences Alena was able to bring to these seniors.”

Goveas completed her project after attending the electric cooperatives’ annual Washington Youth Tour program, which sends rising high school seniors to Washington, D.C., for a week each summer. She was one of three students selected by Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative as a 2026 Youth Tour participant. A total of 69 students from across South Carolina participated.

The R.D. Bennett Community Service Scholarship is named for Robert D. Bennett, the first general manager and executive vice president of The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina. Bennett, who led the state association from 1950 until his retirement in 1980, strongly believed that electric cooperatives should support their local communities by helping provide a better quality of life for their members. His spirit of community service is reflected in this scholarship opportunity.

 “This goes to the heart of who we are as a cooperative,” said Bob Paulling, president and CEO of Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative. “We’re here to serve our communities and invest in their future, and Alena is a great example of what that commitment is all about. We were proud to select her to represent Mid-Carolina at this year’s Youth Tour, and seeing her turn that experience into a meaningful project that made a difference for local seniors is incredibly rewarding. We couldn’t be prouder of her.”