Winners Selected For Nyquist Scholarship Contest
The Thomas and Corinne Nyquist Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of its 2023 annual student essay contest in collaboration with the Culbertson and Froid libraries and the Culbertson, Froid and for the first time, the Brockton schools.
The topic this year was “If you could introduce a new national holiday what would it be and why? How would it be celebrated?” The answers were varied and interesting.
Brockton’s first ever winner was Isabella Apple with her essay, “National Community Service Day.” The judges found this a thoroughly researched and well-reasoned essay, which brought up clear current issues with volunteerism and how this holiday would promote an increase among young people. Taylor Cummins won second place with, “National Speaking Out for Equality Day,” a thoughtful essay with passionate writing and a strong voice.
In Culbertson, Trevor Green and Noelle Wilson tied for first place. The judges found Green’s essay, “My Pet’s a Punk,” comedic and well written while putting forward a convincing argument for the holiday. About Wilson’s essay, “The Case for Schemdricks Day,” they said, “We look for students to share something about themselves in their writing, and this essay did a wonderful job communicating how something meaningful to them could also be impactful for others.”
Froid’s Mara Salvevold won first place with her essay, “Underappreciated Jobs Day,” which the judges found, “a well thought-out essay with excellent writing and citations. We particularly appreciated the definition of qualification categories for the underappreciated jobs – clearly a lot of thought was put into this essay.” Makaylee Elvasaas’s second-place essay, “My National Holiday,” about celebrating a National Ranchers Day, they found to be a compelling personal essay with creative description and a clear depiction of how the proposed holiday would be celebrated.
First-place essays in Brockton and Froid were awarded $250, and second place $150, while the tied essays in Culbertson were each awarded $200.
A big thank you to Jessica Colette at Culbertson Library and Sheri Harvey at Froid Library who coordinate the essay contest with the schools and help us advertise it in the newspaper and elsewhere. Thank you to Shelly Salvevold at Culbertson High School, and Mr. Blair at Froid High School who energized their students to submit their excellent essays, and to Jennifer Ruba and Leona Colvin of Poplar schools who reached out to the Nyquist Foundation to join the essay contest on behalf of their students.
The Nyquist Foundation is a 503(c) nonprofit family foundation started by Tom and Corinne Nyquist in 2004 to give small grants to local nonprofit or governmental organizations in eastern Roosevelt County where Tom grew up, and New Paltz, N.Y. where he and Corinne lived as adults. Annual Bainville High School scholarships were added in 2005, and the essay contest was added a few years later.
For information on the Nyquist Foundation, and application materials for grants, scholarships and the essay contest please see the website www.nyquistfdtn.org. To communicate with the Nyquist Foundation, email Nyquist.foundation@gmail. com.
