Another banner crop of scholarship applications and essays were recently reviewed and AIS is proud to announce its 2009 scholarship winners. Our ad hoc scholarship committee met recently, read each essay, deliberated and argued till we reached consensus. "Each year it is an absolute pleasure to read the thoughtful, sometimes heartfelt and personal essays. My only regret is that we don't have tens of thousands of dollars to award as there are dozens of worthy applicants that deserve a scholarship," said Todd Iverson of America In Solidarity. Thanks to Iverson, Gail Ross, Mike Jagielski, and Mike and Kathy Collier for serving on this year's scholarship committee.
The winners are:
- Jocelyn Lam of Bothell, WA was awarded our top prize with a scholarship of $750. Jocelyn, a junior at the University of Washington, stood above everyone and wrote a brilliant essay about why Americans need health care reform now. She combined personal experience with amazing clarity that this is a matter of justice and argues its our moral responsibilty to fight for change.
- Jason Kingshott from Mt. Vernon, WA was awarded a $250 scholarship for his essay about the Employee Free Choice Act. The Washington State attendee talked about how EFCA would strengthen unions and ultimately America's middle class.
- Stephen Sachs from Greensburg, PA was also awarded a $250 scholarship. The civil engineering major at the University of Pittsburg wrote an excellent essay on health care and its impact on working families.
- Eric Scheer, a junior at the University of Washington from Seattle was awarded a $250 scholarship for his great essay on health care.
- Camille Dodson, also from Seattle and attending the U of W, won one of our two $250 Social Justice scholarships for her engaging work with the UW Dream Project that confronts inequality in those pursuing post-secondary education.
- Finally, the scholarship committee couldn't resist awarding a $250 scholarship to Amy McAuliffe of Pittsburgh, PA. Her essay on our trade policies was easily in the top 10 of the dozens submitted. But what caught the committee's attention was her work with the Pennsylvania Fair Trade Coaltion, Jobs With Justice and local labor council.
