Saipan Tribune

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Saipan student wins third place in essay competition

A local student has won for herself a $2,500 scholarship after being named a winner in this year's National Peace Essay Contest.

Anita Hofschneider of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands won third prize and a $2,500 scholarship, and is now in Washington D.C. to receive her prize.

Wendy Cai of Tempe, Arizona won the top national prize of a $10,000 college scholarship. Cathy Sun of Williamsville, New York took second prize and a $5,000 scholarship. The prizes were awarded yesterday at a Washington, D.C. ceremony held at the Embassy of Sweden.

The students, chosen from over 1,000 entrants in the essay contest as representing the best from their state, are in Washington, D.C., for a five-day program of meetings, seminars, and workshops on U.S. foreign policy and international peace. The program features meetings with prominent experts from government and academic affairs. The students also spent a day on Capitol Hill meeting with their elected officials, including Senators Dick Durbin and Barak Obama.

They will also visit museums and take time out to get to know one another. They attended an award ceremony keynoted by Ugandan mediator and current USIP Senior Fellow Betty Bigombe. Bigombe spoke from first-hand experience about youth and violent conflict-the topic of this year’s essay. (PR)