The three winners of our inaugural College Scholarship Contest have been chosen! Congratulations to Olivia Fish, Lauren Bechtel, and Astrid Terrazas, all of whom will be awarded scholarships worth $2,500 that will go toward college tuition costs.
This was the first time we’ve ever hosted a scholarship contest, and it was very successful. We received nearly 2,000 total applications from the three different groups of applicants—current high school seniors enrolled at a college in 2014, current college students continuing their education at a college in 2014, and parents/guardians of students enrolled at a college in 2014.
Since applicants had to submit an essay between 250 and 400 words, the Storage.com team had the chance to read some truly wonderful, funny, and heartfelt essays from students, parents, and guardians around the country. Reviewing these essays and choosing winners was incredibly challenging because there were so many deserving candidates. Still, we could only award three scholarships.
Student applicants had to answer the question: “Given that you already have the necessities for college, if you could only take what fits into a backpack, what would you bring?
Winner Olivia Fish of Edmond, Oklahoma, wrote that she couldn’t leave home without her novels, Netflix, tennis shoes for Zumba, and Polaroids of some of her favorite memories. Olivia will be attending college for the first time this year at Chapman University in Orange, California.
Winner Lauren Bechtel of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, wrote that she would take a deck of cards, an umbrella, and her love for adventure because she likes to travel. Lauren will be returning to her current school, Houghton College in Houghton, New York, this fall.
As for our parent and guardian applicants, they were tasked with writing an essay that answered: “In a perfect world, when your child moves out for college, what are you going to do with their bedroom?”
Winner Astrid Terrazas of Dallas, Texas, was selected because of her father’s essay. Ruben Terrazas wrote that he would turn her room into his own personal Batcave, complete with oversized chairs, an underground gym, and a motorcycle ramp. Astrid is currently enrolled at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, where she will return this fall.
On behalf of Storage.com, we want to thank everyone who participated in this year’s contest. It was incredible to see the passion, energy, and creativity of so many students, parents, and guardians. We look forward to next year’s College Scholarship Contest, which will be announced in the spring of 2015!
