2014 High School Scholarship Essay Contest

PSR/Sacramento congratulates winners of the
2014 Scholarship Essay Contest

The prompt for the 2014 contest was a quotation from the late South African leader and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Nelson Mandela, who said,

“Education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world.”

The ten finalists in the 2014 contest energized an enthusiastic audience of 150 people with their idealism and their passion as they presented their essays orally and answered questions from a distinguished panel of judges at the scholarship essay contest finals dinner on April 27 in Sacramento.

First Place – Lucas Bere, Rio Americano High School, Sacramento

Second Place – Zaria Watkins, Christian Brothers High School, Sacramento

Third Place – Nora Filet, Davis Senior High School, Davis

The other finalists were:
Courtney Chen, Franklin High School, Elk Grove

Anthony Coates, Antelope High School, Antelope

Rosemarie DiPentino, Woodcreek High School, Roseville

Brittany Foley, Elk Grove High School, Elk Grove

Elisabeth Grove, C.K. McClatchy High School, Sacramento

Alice Moylan, Davis Senior High School, Davis

Benjamin Taylor, Franklin High School, Elk Grove

The first place finalist won a $3000 scholarship, second place a $2500 scholarship, and third place a $2000 scholarship. The other seven finalists each won $1000 scholarships and two alternate finalists $250 each. Read their essays by clicking on their names. The first, second, and third place finalists were chosen by a panel of judges from the community: Ayad Al-Qazzaz, CSUS Sociology professor; Stella Levy, founder and president of the Restorative Justive Vision Project; The Hon. Vance Raye, Presiding Justice of the Third District Court of Appeal; Penny Schwinn, Assistant Superintendent for Sacramento City Unified School District; and Elizabeth Vigil, principal of California Middle School.

Many thanks to everyone who helped to make this year’s scholarship contest a success, including everyone who attended the dinner, who helped read essays, and who contributed to the scholarship fund.