NEW YORK, June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Selecting from a record number of essay entries, Kaplan, Inc. and Newsweek magazine have announced the winners of the 2003-2004 Kaplan/Newsweek "My Turn" Essay Competition, an annual contest that recognizes and awards talented young writers. More than 8,500 essays were submitted from high school students from across the country and U.S. territories overseas, marking an all-time record high for the prestigious contest, which is into its tenth year.
Isabelle Kao, a senior at Shelton High in Shelton, CT, won the $5,000 first-place prize with her essay, entitled "My Chinese, Female Family of Four." She will be an entering freshman this Fall at the University of Chicago where she hopes to major in psychology and possibly pursue a career in medicine.
"It's gratifying to see the level of motivation and talent these young writers display, and the surge in entries indicates a growing recognition that this contest provides a terrific opportunity to showcase their writing skills," said Jonathan Grayer, Kaplan's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We hope this early success and opportunity will encourage these students to continue to write in college and beyond."
Judges for the competition included author and Newsweek columnist, Anna Quindlen; Director of Communications during the Clinton Administration, Don Baer; Newsweek assistant editor and coordinator of the Newsweek "My Turn" column, Pamela Hamer; and Columbia University senior associate director of admissions, Peter Johnson.
The second-place winner, Imma Achilike from Garland, TX, earned a $2,000 prize, while eight third-place winners will be awarded $1,000.
Pam Hamer, coordinator of the Newsweek "My Turn" column and long-time contest judge noted, "Over the years, I've seen consistently high-quality essays focusing on themes ranging from being the children of immigrant parents to dealing with the death of a family member, to reflecting on a world- expanding experience. The contest is popular because award-winning essays not only help students stand out in their communities; they can also help candidates differentiate themselves in the increasingly competitive college admissions process."
Open to all high school students, the Kaplan/Newsweek essay contest was created ten years ago to help students meet the rising costs of college and to offer a forum for expressing their point of view. Students are asked to express opinions reflecting personal experiences that have shaped their lives in original 500-1,000-word essays.
This year's winners: Isabelle Kao, Shelton, CT Sarah Minkler, Kennewick, WA (first-place) Imma Achilike, Garland, TX Jane Chong, Hoffman Estates, IL (second-place) Michele Ng, Leviltown, NY Ciara Lowery, Sedona, AZ Nan "Kathy" Lin, Arlington, TX Elise Waxenberg, East Setauket, NY Deena Drewis, Folsom, CO Caroline Gould, Olympia, WA Honorable Mentions: Christophe Gagne, Canadaigua, NY Cortney Hesse, Kingwood, TX Ashley Gutshall, Fredericksburg, VA Summer Williams, San Diego, CA Jordyn Vicinus, Fairfax, VA Morice Martinez, Grandview, WA Hayley White, Littleton, CO Fei Ji, Sugar Land, TX James Tison, Fort Worth, TX Sharon Traiberman, Chesterfield, MO Kaplan and Newsweek
Kaplan, Inc. (http://www.kaplan.com/) is a premier provider of educational services for individuals, schools and businesses. Newsweek provides comprehensive coverage of national and international affairs, business, society, science and technology, and arts and entertainment. The magazine appears in more than 190 countries and has a worldwide circulation of more than 4 million. Kaplan and Newsweek are subsidiaries of The Washington Post Company .
Press contacts:
Victoria Grantham, victoria_grantham@kaplan.com, 212-453-7538
Kaplan, Inc.; Newsweek
Isabelle Kao, a senior at Shelton High in Shelton, CT, won the $5,000 first-place prize with her essay, entitled "My Chinese, Female Family of Four." She will be an entering freshman this Fall at the University of Chicago where she hopes to major in psychology and possibly pursue a career in medicine.
"It's gratifying to see the level of motivation and talent these young writers display, and the surge in entries indicates a growing recognition that this contest provides a terrific opportunity to showcase their writing skills," said Jonathan Grayer, Kaplan's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We hope this early success and opportunity will encourage these students to continue to write in college and beyond."
Judges for the competition included author and Newsweek columnist, Anna Quindlen; Director of Communications during the Clinton Administration, Don Baer; Newsweek assistant editor and coordinator of the Newsweek "My Turn" column, Pamela Hamer; and Columbia University senior associate director of admissions, Peter Johnson.
The second-place winner, Imma Achilike from Garland, TX, earned a $2,000 prize, while eight third-place winners will be awarded $1,000.
Pam Hamer, coordinator of the Newsweek "My Turn" column and long-time contest judge noted, "Over the years, I've seen consistently high-quality essays focusing on themes ranging from being the children of immigrant parents to dealing with the death of a family member, to reflecting on a world- expanding experience. The contest is popular because award-winning essays not only help students stand out in their communities; they can also help candidates differentiate themselves in the increasingly competitive college admissions process."
Open to all high school students, the Kaplan/Newsweek essay contest was created ten years ago to help students meet the rising costs of college and to offer a forum for expressing their point of view. Students are asked to express opinions reflecting personal experiences that have shaped their lives in original 500-1,000-word essays.
This year's winners: Isabelle Kao, Shelton, CT Sarah Minkler, Kennewick, WA (first-place) Imma Achilike, Garland, TX Jane Chong, Hoffman Estates, IL (second-place) Michele Ng, Leviltown, NY Ciara Lowery, Sedona, AZ Nan "Kathy" Lin, Arlington, TX Elise Waxenberg, East Setauket, NY Deena Drewis, Folsom, CO Caroline Gould, Olympia, WA Honorable Mentions: Christophe Gagne, Canadaigua, NY Cortney Hesse, Kingwood, TX Ashley Gutshall, Fredericksburg, VA Summer Williams, San Diego, CA Jordyn Vicinus, Fairfax, VA Morice Martinez, Grandview, WA Hayley White, Littleton, CO Fei Ji, Sugar Land, TX James Tison, Fort Worth, TX Sharon Traiberman, Chesterfield, MO Kaplan and Newsweek
Kaplan, Inc. (http://www.kaplan.com/) is a premier provider of educational services for individuals, schools and businesses. Newsweek provides comprehensive coverage of national and international affairs, business, society, science and technology, and arts and entertainment. The magazine appears in more than 190 countries and has a worldwide circulation of more than 4 million. Kaplan and Newsweek are subsidiaries of The Washington Post Company .
Press contacts:
Victoria Grantham, victoria_grantham@kaplan.com, 212-453-7538
Kaplan, Inc.; Newsweek
© 2004 PR Newswire
