Emporia Middle School seventh grader Diana Nguyen ended the winter semester with a big surprise.
During an end-of-the-semester assembly, Nguyen learned that she had won the statewide 2011 Learning Quest Program Back to School Essay Contest overall award for the seventh-grade along with $1,000 towards post-secondary education. The contest is in its 10th year.
Over 1,000 Kansas seventh- and eighth-grade Kansas students entered the contest with five receiving prizes. In this year’s contest, students interviewed adults about how they have used education in their career and how the student plans to use education in his or her own career.
Nguyen’s back to school essay was about how education has helped her uncle succeed. Kansas Treasurer Ron Estes presented the award.
“When I heard about this I thought of my uncle, who has gone far with his life,” said Nguyen. “I had to think of many things before writing it.”
Nguyen’s essay stood above the rest because of how she explained the value of education to her uncle and herself.
“I think the big thing was talking about how higher education impacted not just her uncle, but also herself and how she planned to use that,” said Estes.
Nguyen wants to be a doctor, more specifically, a family doctor or spend her life helping children in some way.
“I’ve been getting straight A’s,” said Nguyen. “I’m going to try to find a college that best fits my job.”