Learning to lead
A leap of faith
When Grant Seaton’s mother first handed him a flyer about the Frankfort Youth Tour, sponsored by Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, he never realized that his small decision to apply would change his life.
The McCracken County High School senior, whose parents are consumer-members of Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative, went on that tour, and then on the Kentucky Electric Cooperatives-sponsored Washington Youth Tour. His leadership journey continued when he was selected as the Kentucky representative on the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Youth Leadership Council.
“Throughout YLC, I learned what my strengths were, what I needed to improve on and how those things kind of work together to make me a more effective leader,” says Seaton, who encourages younger students to take the same leap of faith as he did starting out with the Frankfort tour.
As a delegate on the 45-member NRECA Youth Leadership Council, Seaton spent a week in Washington, D.C.
Grant Seaton, a Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative youth tour delegate and Kentucky’s representative on NRECA’s Youth Leadership Council, speaks at the Kentucky Electric Cooperatives annual meeting.
“We participated in workshops, leadership panels and team-building activities that constantly pushed me outside of my comfort zone,” Seaton says. “I learned when to step forward and lead, when to collaborate and when to trust someone else’s ideas.”
Seaton plans to attend college with a major in engineering and a minor in business. He says he’s always enjoyed solving problems but also is interested in continuing to learn more about leadership and entrepreneurship.
“Engineering is often viewed as a technical profession, but the best engineers are also great communicators and leaders,” Seaton says.
Whether he works in engineering or eventually starts his own business, Seaton says his leadership skills from YLC will be just as valuable as the technical knowledge he learns in college.
“YLC taught me that leadership isn’t about having a title, it’s about serving others, communicating effectively and helping people work toward a common goal,” he says.
Most recently, Seaton represented his cooperative by giving a speech at the Kentucky Electric Cooperatives annual meeting. Next up is attending NRECA’s PowerXchange and TechAdvantage in San Diego in February with the Youth Leadership Council.
“At Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative, we believe one of our greatest investments is in the next generation of leaders,” says Mark Lindsey, vice president of member services and communications. “Grant exemplifies the character, humility and kindness that make our communities strong, and he represented our cooperative with integrity throughout the youth tour experience.”
LILLY KEITH is a journalism student at the University of Kentucky and editor-in-chief of KRNL magazine.
