SUMMARY OF SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST

In the summer of 2007 plans were developed by the Education committee for the first “Gambling with the Good Life” scholarship contest. The purpose of the contest was to not only challenge the students regarding their writing ability but to cause them to research the ramifications of gambling and learn of the negative affects on families and society as a whole. Students were asked to write an essay on “Gambling: Choices & Consequences”. A total of $18,000 was raised for scholarship prizes. There would be 2 grand prizes of $5,000, 1 first runner up of $2,000 and 6 honorable mentions at $1,000 each. In September the information packets with posters were mailed to all high schools in the state with the contest to run from Oct 1st – Dec. 1st, 2007. Essays were received from all over Nebraska, 33 cities were represented, they were: Albion, Alma, Amherst, Bartlett, Beatrice, Bennington, Broken Bow, Chadron, Clarkson, Dewitt, Fremont, Geneva, Gering, Grand Island, Hasting, Hemingford, Laurel, Leigh, Lincoln, Milford, Ogallala, Omaha, Papillion, Plattsmouth, So. Sioux City, Springfield, Stuart, Taylor, Tilden, Wahoo, Weeping Water, West Point & Wynot. A total of 25 judges participated in the review process with the final 4 judges being Nancy Osborne, Hal Daub, Pete Ricketts & Pat Loontjer.

Scholarship winners are:

Jill Petersen	Loup Co. High School	Taylor, NE	$5,000.00
Katie Kalisch	Home School	Lincoln, NE	$5,000.00
Makayla Hipke	Stuart High School	Stuart, NE	$2,000.00
Elizabeth Matychuk	Home School	Omaha, NE	$1,000.00
Alyssa Lundahl	Laurel-Concord High School	Laurel, NE	$1,000.00
Katie Wattermann	Home School	West Point, NE	$1,000.00
David Pacheco	So. Sioux City High School	So. Sioux City, NE	$1,000.00
Cara Erskine	Tri County High School	DeWitt, NE	$1,000.00
Graham Thurber	Lincoln East High School	Lincoln, NE	$1,000.00

Jill Petersen’s essay, “Gambling: Clearing the Misconceptions of a Devastating Habit” is one of the Grand Prize winners of a $5,000.00 scholarship. She is a senior at Loup County Public and resides in Burwell, Nebraska.

Jill writes “Thank you to the donors who sponsored this contest. This scholarship will help me attain my goals. I excitedly look forward to pursuing higher education at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. I learned a great deal about the problems of gambling while writing this essay and will carry this new knowledge with me in my future endeavors. Again, thank you for your support.”

Katie Kalisch’s essay, “A Well Kept Secret: Gambling Addictions Among Seniors” also was a Grand Prize winner of a $5,000.00 scholarship. She is a home school student living in Lincoln and plans to attend the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.

Katie writes “I’d just like to say thanks so much to all the people who donated the money to make this scholarship possible. Your generosity is greatly appreciated and will not be forgotten. I’m really exited and thankful that there are people like you who share a mutual strong opposing view of gambling and who want to give people like me an opportunity to make a college education more affordable and possible. Thank you! “

Makayla Hipke’s essay “Gambling With The Future” was “First Runner Up” and is receiving a $2,000.00 scholarship. She is a senior at Stuart Public School in Stuart, Nebraska and plans to attend the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.

Makayla writes “Thank you so very much for this wonderful gift! Your generosity is making it possible for me to chase my dreams! You are funding the dreams of Nebraska’s youth and your work for Gambling with the Good Life ensures us that the future of Nebraska will be bright. Thank you and God bless you all! “

Elizabeth Matychuk’s essay “Don’t Gamble With The Good Life” won Honorable Mention and a $1,000.00 scholarship. She is a home school student living in Omaha.

Elizabeth writes "Thank you so much for choosing me for this scholarship. I appreciate your generosity in helping me towards my goal of earning a degree in elementary education. Thanks for working to stop gambling expansion in Nebraska".

Allyssa Lundahl’s essay “Is It Worth the Gamble?” won Honorable Mention and a $1,000.00 scholarship. She is a senior at Laurel-Concord High School in Laurel, Nebraska and plans to attend the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.

Allyssa writes”I would like to thank all those who sponsored the Gambling with the Good Life essay contest. I enjoyed researching and writing on such an important topic. My highest priority is education and this scholarship is greatly appreciated."

Katie Watterman’s essay “The Hidden Cost of Casinos”won Honorable Mention and a $1,000.00 scholarship. She is a home school student living in West Point, Nebraska and has not decided on a college as yet.

Katie writes “Thank you so much for sponsoring the essay contest! In researching the subject, I discovered that there were many more aspects to gambling than I had realized. I feel that writing this essay has better prepared me to knowledgably counter arguments presented in favor of gambling. It was a very educational experience for me and I enjoyed it. Thank you again.

David Pachero’s essay “How Gambling Negatively Affects Nebraska’s Society” won Honorable Mention and a $1,000.00 scholarship. He attends So. Sioux City High School and resides in Dakota City, Nebraska. David is undecided as to which college he plans to attend.

David writes “I would like to thank all the sponsors who made this opportunity possible, thank you! Warm regards.”

Graham Thurber’s essay “Balancing the Wheel of Character” won Honorable Mention and a $1,000.00 scholarship. He is a senior at Lincoln East High School and resides in Lincoln. David plans to attend Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas next Fall.

Graham writes “Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity and for your dedication to our community! My research provided some very hard and difficult facts and I have gained immense respect for the importance of your organization’s accomplishments. Thanks again for your generosity.”

Cara Erskine’s essay “Gambling: Choices & Consequences” won Honorable Mention and a $1,000.00 scholarship. She is a senior at Tri County High School and resides in Wilbur, Nebraska. Cara plans to attend the University of Nebraska in Lincoln next Fall.

Cara writes “Thank you for sponsoring this activity. The award will be very beneficial for me in order to continue my education. I appreciate your organization and the individuals who contributed to make this event possible. There is a great need to educate the public on the dangers of gambling. This essay contest is a wonderful activity that encourages high school students to develop their writing skills. It also increases the awareness of the negative aspects of gambling that otherwise might be overlooked. Again, thank you.