What are you doing to expose yourself to new people and places and what does this teach you? How does this relate to educational travel?
Essays were evaluated according to the applicant’s academic level, originality,
creativity, clarity, and overall quality of thought and composition demonstrated.
Click here for complete contest details. |
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This year's Essay Contest produced a record number of entries: Over 530 essays were received and reviewed by WorldStrides! Of those, eight outstanding entries were chosen as the top two for each of four divisions: Western, Midwestern, South Central, and Eastern. First place winners are awarded a $750 WorldStrides Scholarship to be put towards their program price. Second place winners each receive a $100 Amazon Gift Card.
Many thanks to everyone who submitted an essay. This year’s entries were all excellent. Keep reading to see the winners' names and a few excerpts from their essays!
Western Division
First Place: Samar Khan, California
“[My] travels, sometimes saddening, always enlightening, have shown me new
places and new people, and educated me on cultures past and present. They have
also helped me understand that not only me but everyone living in the United States
should be thankful for what we have and realize how fortunate we are.”
Second Place: Tonigia Nez, California
“I look forward to going to new places and meeting new people but I also think of this
experience in another way; I might be the only real Native American person some
people ever meet, that one impression may be what they will think of us as a people.”
Midwestern Division
First Place: Katy Hollobaugh, Michigan
“I believe that it would affect both my personal and educational development greatly
to be able to walk in the footsteps of Roosevelt, Lincoln, Kennedy, and many other
remarkable people who made dramatic differences in the future of our nation. It
would be a great honor to see the place where decisions that changed the whole
world have been made.”
Second Place: Emily DeVos, South Dakota
“I am so glad to have all the opportunities that I have been granted. I really do
believe that if you teach an adolescent about the world they only learn what they can
remember for a day, but if you show them the world they will remember it for a
lifetime. I am better able to interpret the knowledge I learn in the classroom when I
get opportunities to travel.”
South Central Division
First Place: Gina DeAngelis, Texas
“I’m a girl with a mission– I want to know my planet like the back of my hand. It’s my home and I intend to leave no stone untouched. I want to meet as many people as I
can, because shouldn’t you have a good idea of what kind of people are sharing your home?”
Second Place: Megan Troy, Texas
“In [my family's] travels, I not only learn about geography, history, and so much more, but I also make memories with my family. I look forward to each summer’s travel
and all of the fantastic experiences that come with it. I hope to continue this family
tradition of educational travel so that we will continue to make precious memories
forever.”
Eastern Division
First Place: Mary Sansone, Florida
“[Studying theater has] taught me how to see new people and new faces in a way I’ve
never experienced before; to see the extra in the ordinary. It’s the study of people
and how they each feel and act distinctly with the world around them.”
Second Place: Willie Filkowski, Florida
“When my peers and I leave Manhattan after our trip this spring, I know that we’ll be
left with impressions like no other. We will walk away knowing that anything is
possible, and that exploring different and intriguing worlds and cultures can be
exciting and addictive. We will have viewed this city of millions, had our minds blown
by the tallest buildings we could lay our eyes upon, and realize that there is life
beyond our backyard. And it is there for our exploration."
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