Kaplan, Inc. and Newsweek Announce Winners of "My Turn" Essay Competition

NEW YORK (May 16, 2002) - Kaplan, Inc. and Newsweek magazine have announced the winners of the 8th Annual Kaplan/Newsweek "My Turn" Essay Competition, a contest that seeks out and recognizes promising young writers. Nearly 4,000 high school students nationwide submitted essays this year, and ten students were selected to receive college scholarships; the first-place winner will be awarded $5,000, the second-place winner will be awarded $2,000 and eight will be awarded $1,000. Kaplan and Newsweek will publish the ten winning essays along with those of ten students given honorable mentions on the Newsweek Education Program Web site (http://school.newsweek.com). The winning authors reflected on topics including politics, national pride, homelessness, identity, and lessons learned from other cultures.

Judges for the competition included author and Pulitzer-prize winner Ron Suskind, author and Newsweek columnist Anna Quindlen, author and Girls' Life columnist Carol Weston, Newsweek senior editorial assistant Pamela Hamer, and Columbia University senior associate director of admissions Peter Johnson.
Winners: 
Jason Shen, Irvine, CA 
Thaisha Lopez, Memphis, TN 
Chinaka Hodge, Oakland, CA
Melissa E. Gordon, Gulf Breeze, FL 
Bridget Tainer, Roanoke, VA
Krupa M. Patel, Des Plaines, IL 
Erika Larson, Atlanta, GA
Andrew David Hale, Warsaw, NY 
Daniel Elkind, Mount Laurel, NJ 
Mahria Trepes, Mt. Upton, NY 
 
Honorable Mentions: 
Mary Scaduto, Des Peres, MO 
David Tu, Marlboro, NJ 
Christopher Chin, Bardonia, NY
Aubrey Villareal, Longwood, FL 
Gregory Sager, Colonia, NJ
Alana Black, Ellicott City, MD 
Meredith L. Fowler, Fair Oaks Ranch, TX
Tung Nguyen, York, PA 
Stephanie A. Fairbank Blacksburg, VA
Christopher Cosgrove Hopkinton, MA
 
 
"It is inspiring to see so many students communicate their thoughts, feelings and experiences through such powerful essays," said Jonathan Grayer, Kaplan's President and CEO. "Kaplan is committed to helping individuals achieve their education and career goals, and it is gratifying to award these outstanding young writers with scholarships in recognition of their individual talents. We hope that these students will continue to write in college and beyond."

"Each year we are impressed with the talent and innovation displayed by these young writers," said Richard Smith, chairman and editor-in-chief of Newsweek. "We are delighted that so many students spent the time writing thoughtful, emotional essays that reflect the fascinating depth and breadth of our culture."

Kaplan, Inc. (www.kaplan.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

Founded in 1933, Newsweek holds more National Magazine Awards given by the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) than any other newsweekly. The magazine appears in more than 190 countries and has a worldwide circulation of more than 4 million.

Press Contacts:

LaWanda Abel
Tel: 212-974-2769
lawanda_abel@kaplan.com

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