Contact: Lisa Deffendall • First Posted: Saturday, February 6, 2010

Students attending middle or high school in the Fayette County Public Schools are invited to compete for $500 scholarships to be used toward attendance at any college, university or vocational school in Kentucky. The deadline is Feb. 28.

 

“We see a need to get kids to really consider or talk about college before their senior year of high school,” said Sean Edwards, president of the Toyota Heritage Classic organization. “Paying for college is so monumental. The costs are high. The earlier kids can start focusing on putting the pieces together, the better it is for planning.”

 

In the five years since its establishment, Toyota Heritage Classic has committed $100,000 for educational opportunities. The group hopes to triple that amount in the next five years.

 

The announcement of the essay scholarship opportunity marks the first time the group is offering direct scholarships for students.  In this first year, 30 scholarships of $500 each will be awarded – 15 at the high school level and 15 at the middle school level.

 

“Life is full of defining moments,” said James Coles, first talking about the birth of his sons and then mentioning the milestones in the growth of the Heritage Classic. “Today is another defining moment. … This initiative is a very special opportunity to support our students and encourage their education.”

 

Winners will be announced in March. In addition to the scholarship money, payable upon high school graduation, each winner will also receive two tickets to the Lexington Heritage Football Classic in September and will be recognized at half-time during the Clash in the Bluegrass game. Winners will also be recognized at the Kentucky Black Expo.

 

Lexington Traditional Magnet School student Kylan Nelson said the chance to win a scholarship might put college within the grasp of more students.

 

“Some kids probably don’t think they can get into school because they don’t have the money or they don’t believe they’re smart enough,” Kylan said. “This $500 scholarship can help them see that it’s possible to go to college.”

 

Fellow LTMS eighth-grader Briana Hodge hoped the competition might also help dispel stereotypes about being smart.

 

“In this generation, in this age group, intelligence is not seen as cool,” she said. “If you show it’s OK to be smart, then it will make other people rethink the misconception of you being nerdy by paying attention in school. This contest will show that being smart can lead to new doors opening and getting new experiences.”

 

Middle school students should write at least 1,000 words on the following topic: “Is education important in getting a job or running a business?”

 

High school entrants should write at least 1,500 words on the following question: “If you were awarded $1 billion to start any type of business that you wanted to move Kentucky forward, what would that business be and why?”

 

Superintendent Stu Silberman, who spoke at the Feb. 5 scholarship announcement, praised the contest organizers as friends and supporters of the work the school district is trying to accomplish. He said he was glad to see questions that would encourage students to think about their futures.

 

“I’m a believer that anything your mind can conceive, you can achieve,” Silberman said, “if you believe.”

 

Asha Jones, a 13-year-old at LTMS, agreed the competition would help students start thinking long-range.

 

“A lot of students are not focused on college at this time – they’re thinking about the time being,” she said. “It’s important to get ideas about the future and set goals.”

 

All essays should be double spaced and at least two pages long. Judges will grade them on content (thoughtful, follows the guidelines, meets the two double-spaced pages minimum), literary composition (Is the information based on research or is it based on personal opinion? Does the content support the thesis?) and mechanics (spelling, grammar and punctuation).

 

Essays are due Feb. 28 to the Lexington Heritage Classic, c/o Nietta Frazier, P.O. Box 13322, Lexington KY 40583-3322.