The prompt for this year’s contest was the following quotation by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt:<\/p>\n
Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The 10 finalists presented their essays orally at the essay contest finals dinner attended by more than 200 people on April 30th and answered questions about their essays from a distinguished panel of judges from the community who then choose the first, second, and third place winners. The essay contest finals was recorded by Randy VanDalsen and Michael Stavros of Media Edge, and the full event may be viewed online via these links for high definition<\/a> (HD) and standard definition<\/a> (SD) versions.<\/p>\n
The winners of the 2017 scholarship essay contest are listed below. Click on the student’s names to read their winning essays. Go to the Scholarship Essay Contest page<\/a> to read the essays of the winners of previous contests.<\/p>\n
First Place ($3,000 Scholarship) – <\/strong>Jarod Heng<\/a>, Western Sierra Collegiate Academy, Rocklin<\/p>\n
Second Place ($2,500 Scholarship) – <\/strong>Christina Cen<\/a>, Monterey Trails High School, Elk Grove<\/p>\n
Third Place ($2,000 Scholarship) – <\/strong>Beatriz Yankelevich<\/a>, Davis Senior High School, Davis<\/p>\n
Other Finalists ($1,000 Scholarship each)<\/strong><\/p>\n
Patrick Caslin<\/a>, Jesuit High School, Carmichael<\/p>\n
Kevin Chang<\/a>, Western Sierra Collegiate Academy, Rocklin<\/p>\n
Maeve Diepenbrock<\/a>, C.K. McClatchy High School, Sacramento<\/p>\n
Della Mahoney<\/a>, C.K. McClatchy High School, Sacramento<\/p>\n
Hannah Payne<\/a>, Dixon High School, Dixon<\/p>\n
Isabella Vallejo-Wolff<\/a>, C.K. McClatchy High School, Sacramento<\/p>\n