Trinity Husong recently returned from the Cooperative Youth Conference and Leadership Experience or CYCLE. This annual program, sponsored by Missouri’s Rural Electric Cooperatives, is a four-day leadership event designed to show students more about electric cooperatives, teach leadership skills and experience Missouri state government. Southwest Electric Co-Op (SWEC) selected and fully sponsored Trinity at Cycle 2024 and sponsors two juniors every single year. Trinity shared he was “euphoric to be gifted the privilege to go up to Jefferson City for CYCLE”.
Trinity (at left) and two other CYCLE attendees are on the floor of the Missouri House of Representatives.
On the first day he listened to a speech by the Kansas City Chief’s Dan Meers. Mr. Meers, who has made a career serving as the Chief's official mascot KC Wolf, shared how to always have a positive outlook on life. He discussed how he nearly lost his life in 2013 and what he is doing to stay positive throughout his lifelong recovery.
Trinity is with guest speaker, Dan Meers, better known as KC Wolf.
Trinity shared he was very blessed to hear another motivational speaker who “talked to us about how, by using the principles of Rachel's Challenge, we can all start a chain reaction of kindness”. This organization is based on the life of Rachel Joy Scott, who was the first student killed in the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. Rachel was known for helping others, acting against bullying, and performing acts of kindness and compassion.
The very next day, the students were given the freedom to go to CYCLE's first ever St. Louis Fun Day. Trinity went to the St. Louis City Museum and had a blast experiencing all of the different exhibits. It featured an aquarium, an indoor skateless skatepark, a mini circus, a maze of tunnels, and much more. Afterwards, Trinity and his group took a bus to Dave & Buster's and played video games to their hearts’ content.
In the picture, Trinity's dead skin cells are being eaten off if his hand by a carp-like fish called “Garra Rufa” (also known a Doctor Fish or Toothless Fish) at the City Museum in St. Louis.
The next day was even more action packed. Trinity had the opportunity to tour the infamous Missouri State Penitentiary. He got to sit in the gas chamber, stand in several prison cells, and listen to its eerie history. That afternoon, he went to the Capitol building and debated a bill that the majority of students chose earlier that day. The bill introduced the topic of lowering the cost of adoption in the state of Missouri. The bill that Trinity debated, though fake, stirred up many deep emotions within the assembly. This added to its authenticity, making it all the more exciting. In the end, the bill did not go through. Back at the hotel that evening, Trinity was delighted to watch an in-person hypnosis show. The hypnotist made them sleep, sing, laugh, and more.
This is Trinity trying his best to act shocked while standing in front of a prison cell at the original Missouri State Penitentiary.
Trinity is witnessing a hypnotist use his hypnotic abilities to put volunteers asleep.
Trinity stated, “one of the most memorable moments of this whole experience occurred while I was watching a live powerline demo at Central Power. It all started when the demonstrator took a teddy bear filled with gunpowder (unbeknownst to me at the time) and showed everyone what it looked like when a squirrel got zapped by a powerline. He used a “hot stick” to touch the teddy bear to the powerline and pole safely. As soon as it made contact, I heard a loud BOOM! Almost everyone jumped back six feet and screeched at the top of their lungs. It was hilarious!”
Trinity observing a “hot stick” demonstration at Central Power.
Trinity said he expected this event to be very bland, however he learned a great deal of information and had fun doing it. He recommends CYCLE to any Junior interested in learning more about Missouri electric cooperatives and/or would like to work for them one day. As Trinity concluded, “you won't regret it!”
Trinity and his new friend are on a bus heading back to Jefferson City after a long and exciting day in St. Louis.
Trinity earned the opportunity to attend the CYCLE Program by submitting an application to SWEC. He advanced through the application process, which included authoring an essay and participating in a formal interview, earning him a spot at this year’s CYCLE. Interested juniors at Macks Creek School should consider applying for CYCLE as well as the Missouri Youth Tour which includes week-long all-expenses paid trip to Washington D.C. To learn more about both programs and to see SWEC’s press release about Trinity please visit: https://www.swec.org/youth-programs. Any Macks Creek Junior interested in applying for Youth Tour 2025 or Cycle 2025 should visit swec.org to learn more about the application process.
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