Community College Week and the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) have announced the winners of the annual Scott Wright Student Essay Contest.

Named in honor of Scott Wright, recipient of the 1998 Award for Excellence in Higher Education Journalism, and whose reporting focused national attention on developmental education, the contest asked student authors to name a faculty member, staff member or administrator who encouraged him or her to complete a course, finish a semester, or graduate from college, and describe how that encouragement helped him or her reach that goal.

Three winners were selected from among more than 200 entries. The three winning student authors and three employees featured in the winning essays each received a $1,000 check and were recognized during NISOD’s annual conference in Austin, Texas.

The winning student authors are: Chandler Blake, Harford Community College (Md.); Matthew Wheeler, Northwest Vista College (Texas); and Erika Lagos, Perimeter College at Georgia State University.

The employees featured in the winning essays are: Elizabeth Mosser, professor, Harford Community College; Donald Lucas, professor, Northwest Vista College; and Amber Brooks, professor, Perimeter College at Georgia State University The winnings student essays are below.