Being a team player is paying off for Alex Rosier. The high school student from Estill admits, she likes to sometimes “take control” but a recent collaboration with the two other teens has earned her a $5,000 college scholarship. 

Rosier, Charlotte Beth Burns of Swansea and Summerville’s Leila Blackwell were a part of the winning production in a podcast scholarship competition sponsored by South Carolina’s electric cooperatives.  

“I’m working at becoming a team player,” says Rosier. “I want to see what others think, what has happened in their lives to give them this perspective.”

Rosier, Burns and Blackwell produced an audio essay about what South Carolina means to them. Their story focused on how the people of Summerville and Swansea supported one another following tragic deaths of local teens. Their podcast was selected by a panel of journalists that included Darci Strickland of WLTX-TV, Jeffrey Collins of The Associated Press, Sarah Ellis of The State newspaper and Victoria Hansen of South Carolina Public Radio.

“I heard some strong writing and strong storytelling,” says Hansen. “I always enjoy it when podcasts and radio pieces bring in outside sound and mix in music. It can really make a piece come alive.”

The three students were among a group of 43 delegates from across the state who participated in the 2023 Cooperative Youth Summit, a four-day leadership experience that offers them the chance to learn more about state government and electric cooperatives. Rosier was sponsored by Palmetto Electric. 

All of the podcasts are available online at anchor.fm/ecsc or by searching Cooperative Youth Summit Podcast Challenge on your preferred podcasting platform.