RIDGEFIELD, NJ--Samsung Techwin America’s Electronic Imaging Division announced the seven high school students who each earned $1,000 scholarships. “We are extremely impressed with the persuasively crafted essays filled with originality and infused with the indomitable spirit that is indicative of our youth,” said Richard Bellomy, V.P. of Sales for the Electronic Imaging Division. “I would like to congratulate the seven winners and thank everyone who participated.”
Students were asked to submit up to a 300 word essay answering the question “Is technology a good investment for schools? Why or why not?” The papers were judged on original thinking, relevance to the real world, and writing quality. Here are the seven winners with some of their thoughts.
“Whether as a teaching aid, a method to expedite research, or as a vehicle to provide real time visual interface to facilitate learning between peoples and cultures a continent apart, the role and subsequent investment in technology is critical to learning.”
Ashley Nichole Green, Pittsburg High School
Pittsburg, Texas
Teacher: Betty Geffers
“As every dimension of our world evolves so rapidly, the education challenges of tomorrow will require solutions that go far beyond today's answers.”
Ryan Harkness, Arlington High School
Grand Prairie, Texas
Teacher: Michelle Smith
“Technology enriches students' lives and opens a vast new world for them to learn. Education is an investment in the future, and a school's investment in technology is the down payment for that future.”
Loren Jessen, Springfield High School
Springfield, Oregon
Teacher: Susan Stambaugh
“By investing in technology in education, we can also plant the seed for great accomplishment in the sciences and in technology for the future.”
Cole Stevens, Iolani High School
Kailua, Hawaii
Teacher: Ali Stewart-Ito
“…schools should make investments in technology. But we must be careful in society not to teach schoolchildren to excessively rely on a merely artificial mind. Rather, we must use our own minds sufficiently.”
Luke Trouwborst, Home Schooled
Schenectady, New York
Teacher: Colleen Trouwborst
“We must embrace technology, harness its power, and allow it to unfurl the learning experiences before us, altogether changing the world for the better.”
Stephanie Wenclawski, John F. Kennedy High School
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Teacher: Jason Cochrane
“Technology is not a shortcut or a cheat; instead, it is a tool that maximizes productivity and leads to higher levels of proficiency. Why not invest?”
Kimberly Yau, Brookwood High School
Lilburn, Georgia
Teacher: Mary Britt
Please visit www.samsungscholarship.com to view the winning essays!
