04/06/2012 · 7:55 am

Amber Hoagland – 2003 Global Awareness Scholarship Recipient

from Amber Hoagland’s winning essay…

“As Americans, we share the responsibility to educate ourselves about the government, culture, and politics of our country. Of equal importance, however, is educating ourselves as human beings inhabiting the planet Earth about the international world…

In today’s world, societies are extremely different from one another.  The ethics, values, and overall cultural experiences of daily life are so varied, that we simply cannot group the entire world as one thriving civilization.  In order to maintain global order and peace, it is our responsibility to understand this concept and to educate ourselves about our foreign brothers.  After all, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. put, “if we are to survive this global neighborhood, we must learn to live together.”

Amber donates to and is currently on the Board of Directors of the Building A Better World Scholarship.  She evaluates essays and helps to select winning recipients.  In 2010 she along with Jordan Holter announced the winners at the Oakridge High School Awards assembly.

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· 7:48 am

Nick Waldo – 2004 Independent Travel Scholarship Recipient

from Nick’s winning essay…

“For many centuries, the religion of Islam has contained five separate pillars of faith.  One very important pillar involves a pilgrimage to Mecca, which is the center of the Islamic religion.  This is just one example of how important travel and something that someone is passionate about come together.  I believe to be a dedicated pilot, in order for me to expand my passion for flight; it is required for me to make my own pilgrimage to Kill Devil Hills in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the birthplace of the powered flight…

I have also decided that I am going to fly myself there.  You can’t go to a museum of flight by car!  You have to fly in and experience it just as the Wright Brothers did a century ago.  I have calculated the total distance from Muskegon County Airport (KMKG) to First Flight Airport (KFFA) to be about 720 nautical miles  (828 statue miles).  I will take a direct flight to the airport and have planned a landing in Richmond, Virginia for refueling along the way.”

In 2005 Nick Waldo flew solo to Kill Devil Hills in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the birthplace of powered flight.

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· 7:36 am

Shannon Smith – 2004 Community Involvement Scholarship Recipient

from Shannon’s winning essay…

“To represent a community, one must be involved in it.  Taking the time to help one another is the best thing that can occur in society.  All people who are involved in a community partake in a different aspect of it.  The individuals who need help are the people who appreciate it.  The people who lend a hand are the people who gain a fulfillment in their lives from the gratitude of those he/she benefited.  It is an ongoing process with all of the pieces connecting as a working system.  This system is the basis of civilization.  There are many directions a person can pursue to be involved in an effective society…”

 

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· 7:34 am

Angela Vitto – 2004 Global Awareness Scholarship Recipient

from Angela’s winning essay…

“Growing up in a small community, it’s sometimes difficult to comprehend that there is a whole other world out there.  Often times we don’t really even get to know our neighbors, much less our world neighbors.  So, what stands in the way?  Often, it is fear, stereotypes, and perceptions that have been instilled in us by our parents, our friends, or the media. My father had often told me the story of how he overcame racism…

I will be attending Benedictine University in Illinois in the fall.  Benedictine has been recognized as one of the most diverse colleges in the country.  I am looking forward to meeting people from all over the world and having the opportunity to learn about their cultures.  After college, I hope to become a teacher.  As part of my classroom climate I will try to instill an appreciation for our neighbors around the world.  I will set a priority of teaching my students about other cultures.  I will teach them not to believe everything they read or hear on the news.  I will challenge them to look for alternative sources of information to find their own truth.  My hope is that I will able to break down some of the stereotypes and prejudices they have about other people, and they will learn to judge others by the quality of their character.”

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04/05/2012 · 11:23 pm

2003 Scholarship Winners

The 2003 OEA Building A Better World Scholarship winners are:

Congratulations to Amber, Jennifer, and Sarah – our first ever Building A Better World Scholarship recipients.   We did it!  They did it!  Amber wrote a passionate essay on the significance of being globally aware and then went on to study abroad in Ecuador at Alma College.  Jennifer related the significance of community involvement and has begun a life dedicated to that.  And Sarah Fowler along with Angie Pastoor drove to Boston and explored our nation’s roots, together in the summer of 2003.  Congratulations to us all on season #1.   Please check separate links highlighted above to get a better insight into each of these exceptional young ladies.

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