The Buddha said “I am Awake”

2009 OEA Building A Better World Scholarship

We are still taking contributions for the 2009 Scholarship. Please contact Mr. Wood at 616-402-8668 or bobwoodmsu@charter.net if you would like to donate. Your contribution will be divided up among Tyler, Sam and Corey. Our 2009 goal is $3000. Thank you to all who have donated so far…we will post a final list of contributors when the scholarship total for 2009 is complete.

Congratulations to the 2009 OEA Building A Better World Scholarship Winners – Tyler Darnell, Sam Ferrier, Corey Swanson.

The 2009 OEA Building A Better World Scholarship provided us our most ever student essay entries and some of our finest winning essays in the six year history of this scholarship. Thank you to all OHS Seniors who participated. We wish you the best in your travels and studies down the road. Please read and listen to our 2009 winners below, as they express their thoughts on how to help Build a Better World. The podcasts do not always work in Firebox browser.

*$1000 Global Awareness Winner – Corey Swanson

Corey’s winning essay – PDF form – look here
Corey reads his winning essay – listen here

…will attend Northern Michigan University in the Fall of 2009. He plans to major in Political Science and minor in Musical Theory. Corey intends on working towards a PhD in Political Science and becoming a University professor. For the past two years at Oakridge he was active in all forms of political involvement. In the 2008 presidential election Corey was a student organizer for the Obama campaign and volunteered over 110 hours. In 2008 he chaired the OHS Super Duper Club, which took on the Democratic Party practice of the use of Super Delegates. He spoke before Congressional representatives in Lansing challenging the practice. In the Spring of 2009 he traveled to Selma, Alabama with Oakridge students for the Bridge Crossing Jubilee. On May 29, 2009 Corey helped to organize a Die In to bring awareness to genocide unfolding in Sudan. He works at McDonalds and can’t wait for college to start this Fall.

*$1000 Independent Travel Winner – Sam Ferrier

Sam’s winning essay – PDF form – look here
Sam reads her winning essay – listen here

…is taking one year off from formal study in an effort to save money and move to Portland, Oregon in August of 2010. Sam is already a seasoned traveler, having participated in the Oakridge Close Up Program, the Selma Bridge Crossing tour in the Spring of 09, as well as numerous trips to Chicago in and out of school. She has participated in civic activism in Washington D.C and in the Muskegon area. She’s not quite sure what she will do with her life, but the West Coast of the United States is definitely calling. She’s thoroughly researched Portland, Oregon and colleges in the near vicinity. She plans to travel there with this scholarship, in September, in order to lay the foundation for a move next summer. She may also stop over in Seattle for a couple of days on the trip. Meanwhile she’s working fifty hours a week at K-Mart and banking her paychecks in order to become a future Oregonian. She promises us lots of photos from Pacific Northwest on her return.

*$1000 Community Involvement Winner – Tyler Darnell

Tyler’s winning essay – PDF form – look here
Tyler reads his winning essay – listen here

..will attend Muskegon Community College in the Fall of 2009. His long term goals revolve around studies in physics, however along the way he’s dedicated himself to volunteering in his community. In the past four years Tyler has volunteered over 300 hours primarily in the Egleston community doing everything from tutoring, campaigning, working with the disabled, bringing awareness to homelessness, painting to prevent graffiti, and entertaining the elderly. He also is a member of the Muskegon Conservation Corps which spends an extensive amount of time and effort in protecting and preserving the Muskegon area environment. Tyler recently traveled to Washington D.C. with Close Up where he further strengthened bonds with the national volunteer organization AmeriCorps. Tyler will continue to volunteer as he makes his way through college, and is considering a tour in AmeriCorps somewhere along the way.

Read about the Building A Better World Scholarship.

OEA Building A Better World Scholarship is a grassroots locally funded scholarship for Oakridge graduating seniors. The Oakridge Education Association has recently joined with us to co-sponsor the scholarship, as has the Oakridge Alumni Association. We thank both groups for their generosity and consideration. In six years Building A Better World has provided 18 graduating Oakridge seniors with scholarships totaling over $12000.

The three categories of scholarships are 1 – Global Awareness 2 – Community Involvement 3 – Independent Travel

All graduating Oakridge Seniors are eligible to apply for the 2010 Building A Better World Scholarship. If you are interested please download the Scholarship Application form below and turn your completed essay (s) into the OHS Counseling office by May 1, 2010. Students may apply for one, two, or all three scholarships. If you would like to learn more or join with us and donate to Building A Better World Scholarship, please read.

Any questions on any aspect of Building A Better World, please ask here at this blog, email Mr. Wood at bwood@oakridgeschools.org or call 616-402-8668.

Scholarship Application form

Poster of Scholarship Winners since 2003