Students in Mrs. Uitto’s English 8 course had the opportunity to experience the process of applying for a scholarship when they wrote essays responding to the prompt: Why am I a good investment? Not only did students receive a completion grade for their work, but there was also a real chance to win a $20 “scholarship”. Students submitted their essays using pin numbers instead of their names so that Mrs. Uitto would pick the winner of the scholarship in an unbiased manner. Not only did students have to respond to the prompt, but they had to use their writing to distinguish themselves from their peers and they had to follow the scholarship guidelines fully in order to be considered for the top prize. Mrs. Uitto hopes that this assignment will help her students to think about writing with audience in mind and to leave a lasting impact on the reader, so that when the time comes for them to actually apply for scholarships, they have an idea of what is expected.

Congratulations to the scholarship winner, Renee Newton, and to the four runners up (in order): Brant Dye, Mara Ruhlen, Luke Wilson, and Gabbi Hackworth