$6,000 Awarded to Five Alaska High School Students
PRESS RELEASE from Alaska State Fair, Inc.
Congratulations to the five high school students selected as recipients of the Alaska State Fair 2018 scholarships! This year, the Fair received 33 applications and selected five students to receive scholarships totaling $6,000.
• 1st place, $2,500: Claire Childs. Claire will graduate from Wasilla High School in 2019 and plans to attend the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). In her Fair essay, Claire explained her idea for introducing a wearable art show at the Fair. Her future goal is to “…pay it forward by returning to the Valley and serve in the healthcare sciences where families and children need everyday support,” Claire wrote.
• 2nd place, $1,500: Nick Edwards. Nick, a graduate of Soldotna High School, is attending the University of Wyoming. In his humorous essay, Nick described the food booth he would operate with his dad at the Fair: The Wing Wagon, which would feature an array of creatively prepared chicken wings. “What better way for a father and son to bond than through delicious finger food?” Nick wrote.
• 3rd place, $1,000: Ruby Lindquist. Ruby is graduating from Seward High School and will attend Black Hills State University this fall. In her essay, Ruby shared her idea for a new Fair activity: a giant chalkboard where fairgoers could write and draw. “It would be a great opportunity for adults and children of all ages to share their thoughts, express themselves in positive ways and keep those awesome Alaska State Fair vibes alive,” she wrote.
• Honorable mention, $500: Shyanne Massie. Shyanne, a student at Wasilla High School, expects to attend Boise State University. At her fair booth, she would use her skills as a photographer to offer professional portraits to fairgoers in return for donations to a non-profit serving kids in foster care. “My booth at the Fair would combine my talents with photography and my passion to help displaced children in our community,” she wrote.
• Honorable mention, $500: Nigel West. Nigel is a senior at Mat-Su Middle College High School, and plans to attend UAA this fall. His goal is to complete a Bachelor’s of Natural Science and get into a physical therapy program. If he had a booth at the Fair, Nigel would offer small lockers for fairgoers to store their things, as well as a phone charging station. “It might not sound like the most exciting idea, but I think it would solve the biggest problem that I have seen when going to the Fair,” Nigel wrote.
Fair scholarships are open to all Alaska junior and senior high school students who plan to attend college or vocational school. The next call for applications will be made in early 2019. For more information, visit www.alaskastatefair.org or contact Kelly Larson at 907.746.7164 or kelly@alaskastatefair.org.
