By CAROL HEARD
BC Communications Specialist
The 26th annual High School Essay Contest, hosted by Bainbridge College, just got a little more competitive.
The top prize for the competition has been increased to a $500 scholarship; second place is $200 and third place is $100. All the scholarships are redeemable for full- or part-time credit, and the top scholarship is capable of covering a semester of textbook expenses or even class credits and fees.
It also got more competitive because the contest eligibility includes high school juniors, as well as seniors from BC’s service area.
One of the best known winners of the essay competition is Dr. Michael Kirkland, the college’s chairman of the Arts and Sciences Division. He decided to enter the contest on a whim, but walked away with the top prize, which he used to begin his college career.
“As a winner of the 1992 Humanities Division essay contest while a senior at Bainbridge High School, I essentially paid for my first semester at Bainbridge College,” Kirkland said.
The competition will be held at the Kirbo Regional Center on Wednesday, April 18.
The students must compose a spontaneous, two- to three-page essay on a prompt of their selection. Aside from the competition, the students will be treated to a breakfast and a tour of the main campus. The awards ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. that afternoon.