High school seniors can submit 1-page essay beginning Feb. 1 as part of credit union’s Write to Educate Essay Contest

LAFCU is now accepting submissions for its 2023 Write to Educate Essay Contest. The contest awards four high school seniors a total of $20,000 and donates $2,000 to local charities on their behalf.  Each winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship to an accredited Michigan college or university and will designate another $500 from LAFCU to a local charity. Entries must be submitted online by March 31, 2023.

“This contest is an incredible opportunity for high school seniors to not only earn money to help fund their college education, but also to reflect on their high school experience and successes, as well as their future plans,” said Kelli Ellsworth Etchison, LAFCU chief marketing officer and chief diversity officer.

A one-page essay will be used to determine the winners. Academic performance and financial need are not considered in the selection process. Michigan high school students can enter regardless of whether they are members of LAFCU. Additional information is available at www.lafcu.com/writetoeducate.

"This contest is also extremely unique in that winners are chosen not on the basis of their income or grades, but rather on their ability to effectively share their personal experience and story,” said Ellsworth Etchison. “The charitable donations and contributions made on behalf of these exceptional students support the credit union philosophy of ‘people helping people’ and demonstrate the importance of supporting the next generation of professionals and leaders.”

Winning essays will be published in the Lansing State Journal, community sponsor of the contest.

The 2022 winners include Aanchal Jain and Berelian Karimian, Okemos; Gavin Isles, Bannister; and Mori Rothhorn, Lansing. Their selection was based on a one-page essay that examined their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic.