Congratulations to the Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner, Rhea Nichols! Her essay not only made us laugh, but showed she was informed about the current oil spill in the Gulf. Funny and smart! Congratulations Rhea!

Here is her winning essay:
If I could pull a prank on any world leader, it would be President Obama. I would have his staff prepare a nice dinner for family and guests and announce the menu as fresh seafood from the Gulf Coast. Perhaps, the significance of the problem would hit home, and he would take a stronger stand.

Here is a little more about our winner:
I’m a rising senior, and I like to stay busy. Most of my time, I spend playing softball. I play on a top travel team called the Williamsburg Starz Gold Team. I play in the outfield because I am a very fast runner and like the challenge of running after fly balls. When I’m not playing softball, I like to go to the beach with friends. In the winter, I love to go snowboarding, and I like to take bus trips to Snowshoe. I also enjoy quiet activities like reading and painting. I plan to major in art, so I love to draw and paint. I also volunteer at a camp for children with autism.

Here are some of our runner ups:

Nikita West: I’d challenge how tech-savvy the President is by doing the classic screen shot of the empty desktop, make it the wallpaper, hide all the icons and hide the start bar. The mouse would work, but it would look like everything he clicked on was broken. It would provide humor for the computer techs.

Jenna Markovska: If I could play a prank on any world leader, I would send Obama a fake letter/email from Lady Gaga’s record label strongly requesting that he play her love interest in her next music video.

If you want a chance to win next week, be sure to post you two to three sentence essay in the comments section of the scholarship profile and don’t forget to update your profile!

Congratulations to the Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner, Lauren Paolino! Lauren will start her senior year in high school this fall where she’ll be a member of both the soccer and swim team.

When asked what gift she would give to anyone in the world, this was her response and winning essay:

“Happiness is only real when shared,” said Stephen Hawking. Every individual deserves the gift of happiness.

Here is a little more about our winner:

I have held two jobs while in high school. I have accumulated over two hundred and fifty six hours of community service. I have held many leadership positions. I have been in the running for many student government positions. I play travel soccer for a well-known club. I am on the school soccer and swim team; the swim team won states twice while I participated. I am in National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Interact Club and BASE Club. I have school spirit and attend almost every sporting event. I am also on prom committee. I manage my time well. I am independent, outgoing, and positive.

Congratulations Lauren!

Some of the runner ups are below:

Veena Bhatia: I would give the gift of courage to all people who are scared of others, scared of failure, scared of commitment… because people construct their own destinies. You make your own life to be the way you want it to be.

Brittany Bullard: I would give the gift of having a place to call home to those who don’t have one. Home is where the heart is and everyone deserves to live comfortably. A home can make even the worst times in life seem minuscule because it’s an escape from the harsh, cruel world and I think everyone deserves that.

Renee Mallari: If i could give any gift in the world, it would be the gift of inspiration. I would give it to the world in hopes that everyone would become inspired to do something more with their life. It is through inspiration that people are able to achieve the things they never thought possible.

Kelsey Abel: I would give hope to a child who might otherwise have a hopeless future. Too often do innocent children become encased in a mold of their home life that seems impenetrable and insurmountable. No child and no person should ever feel limited by surroundings which they have no choice but to endure.

Kaitlin Kobs: I would give to everyone the gift of faith, not necessarily in a religion, but in the human race. Even when things are in the deepest depths, faith is the light that helps you find your way out. Faith is what fuels people to do something, to make change, to make things right.

Jennifer Tran: It’s natural to make mistakes, but we often do not take advantage of the lessons they offer. I would give everyone the desire to learn from mistakes, both our own and those of others. They are warnings and if we heed them well, we will be able to navigate our way through life with more ease.

Kathleen Wong: To understand and accept our failures, our successes, and our dreams, is the greatest treasure. Accepting all that we are would give us the freedom to feel our truest emotions and to pursue our passion. My gift to you is honest acceptance, it is a present that would lead to a better future.

Be next week’s winner by applying for the weekly essay scholarship right now! And don’t forget to update your profile!

Congratulations to the Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner, Brandon Stirrup! As the winner of this past week’s essay scholarship, Brandon will be putting his scholarship money toward his education at The University of Georgia.

Here is his winning essay:
The world needs smart, dedicated individuals with no fear of the unknown, no fear of the future, and who have a plan for their own lives. The world needs parents to become heroes for their children, and children to become the leaders and role models of the future. The world needs diversity.

Here is a little more about our winner:
I am Brandon. I was admitted to The University of Georgia which is where I will attend to study political science. I am really into politics and international relations. I went to the Governor’s Honors Program in Georgia to study Spanish, and was runner up for the top Spanish student of the year for the state. I played soccer all four years of high school and I was president of Spanish honor society and Spanish club. I have attended a christian church my whole life but I am pretty liberal and accept all types of lifestyles. I just need money for college because UGA is expensive!

Congratulations Brandon!

Some of the runner ups are below:

Chelby Miller: There are quite a few things that the world needs now–compassion, understanding, acceptance, trust, peace and more. While the world wages its war and points blame at poignant figures in society, it is the individual people who determine what the world is, and only they can cause change.

Kassandra Breen: The world needs a sense of compassion; the desire to put another human being before themselves. If everyone genuinely cared for one another, we would not see violence or hate. The world would simply know peace, pure happiness and experience nothing but joy.

Kristin Appel: The last thing the world needs is unity. The world should celebrate it’s diversity and support intellectual competition. This question will never be solved with one answer, so I ask, what does the world need you to do?

Laura Willett: I believe that the world now needs to purify itself, put aside such silly materialistic and political worries, and focus on its true purpose. This earth is supposed to be a home for us, not a place of turmoil, conflict and hatred. We were not placed here to fight one another.

Malena Brooks: Right now the world needs hope. In the midst of all the problems facing the world we need something to hold on to, something to look at that tells us we will survive this. If the world could find hope then maybe we could make the world a better place.

Alejandra Moreno: The world today needs people who tell the truth, people who are honest and don’t aspire to corrupt the minds of the young. The world needs more open-minded people, people who will see different solutions in everything, people who aren’t afraid of trying new things. These people will save us all.

Chandler Padgett: Personally, I think that the world needs to join hands. I believe that by people around the world working together for a single cause, the outcome will be far more grand than the world that we live in right now; I believe that people, as a whole, will become more selfless and focused more on others.

Sarah Gerton: Now, the world needs action.  We could talk forever about what we need to do about various problems, but if talk is all that ever happens, we will lose our chance to take action.  Today is the day to begin.

Looking to win the next weekly scholarship? Be sure to update your profile and tell us how you’re more than a test score! Profiles are considered when judging.

Meet last week’s Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner, Andrew Kaye! With so many entries to choose from, it was a tough decision, but we congratulate Andrew on his great essay.

Here is his winning essay:

Our freedoms, as listed in the first amendment, are the only bonds that hold our country together. I believe that it is more important to have the rights of speech and free expression of oneself than to have the right to have protection. If everyone was free, we wouldn’t need to fight for freedom.

Here is a little more about our winner:

I am very outgoing and enjoy working with other people. I also volunteer and will get the job done no matter what someone asks me to do for them. I also enjoy playing tennis for the Basha High School Junior Varsity Team and I am looking forward to playing for their varsity team next year. I plan on progressing in the engineering field in the future because of an engineering course I recently took and found suitable. I am a straight A student and I will try to receive an unweighted GPA of at least 4.0 for all four years in high school.

Congratulations Andrew!

Thanks to everyone who participated! Don’t forget to submit your essay for this week’s contest and remember that judging is based off your profile as well, so update them before you submit your essay!

With the end of the school year, we are getting a lot of matching winners! Congratulations to the most recent winner, Neil Shah, a graduating senior who has plans to attend North Carolina State University in the fall.

He is a Coca-Cola Scholar and because he found the scholarship on Zinch, applied and won, we’re doubling his money! Here’s a little more about this talented Zincher.

Why do you deserve the Coca-Cola Scholars Program scholarship?

The scholarship is focused on students who strive for excellence in every way possible: character, academics, service, and the whole works.  I feel that in this sense I’m a fairly well-rounded person, and I’m honored to be a Coca-Cola Scholar.

What was your reaction when you heard we were matching your scholarship?

I was pretty excited!  I was already glad enough to be winning a scholarship in the first place, but this just added to the happiness.

What are your plans for the future?

Doctorate in Computational Science, work at a research lab, and eventually be a professor of computer science or mathematics.

If you could have dinner with 3 people (dead or alive), who would it be and why?

Richard Feynman - Incredible scientist, with an incredible potential to see through problems right to their solutions.

Alan Turing - Could be considered as a founding father of computer science.

Pierre de Fermat - I wonder if he actually did have a simple proof of his Last Theorem.  If so, I’d want to see it.

If you had a million dollars and you had to spend it on yourself, what would you do?

Establish a hefty retirement account and invest a good portion of it.

How are you more than a test score?

Well, I am an amalgam of interests, especially in science and mathematics.  A test score could do nowhere close to serving the purpose of identifying me.  Plenty of people can have the same test score, but in the end they are all different people!

Have you won a scholarship you applied for on Zinch? Well, let us know and we just might be able to double your money!

Meet Arpan Prabhu. He can’t live without cereal, is attending University of Pittsburgh this fall, and not only won a scholarship from Zinch, but is also getting two scholarships matched by us as well. Why? Because he found and won two scholarships on our site! Talk about using your resources. Congratulations multiple times, Arpan!

Why do you deserve these scholarships (Coca-Cola Scholars and the Principal’s Leadership Award)?

I work hard, I play hard.

What was your reaction when you heard we were matching your scholarship?

I was pretty excited to know that some of the weight of college expenses was lifted from my shoulders.

What do you do on rainy days?

Normally, I’ll end up just loafing around the house, watching television, engorging myself with snacks–all the things that make childhood a blast. If I can, though, I’ll try to get some friends together to play video games, chess, spoons, and whatnot.

What’s the first thing you would grab on your way out the door if your house caught fire?

This would probably depend on what room I was in, but it would probably be something small that could fit in my pocket so it wouldn’t impede my escaping from the house. So maybe some dental floss.

If you could have dinner with 3 people (dead or alive), who would it be and why?

I would be thrilled to have Russell Peters, Kim Jong-il, and a stranger. I enjoy laughter and diversity, and I think Russell (a comedian) could easily cut the tension at the table. Kim Jong-il would provide some interesting views for discussion, and the stranger could turn out to become a new friend or, at the very least, cover the tip.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

The power to grant any power and take away any power at will.

If you had a million dollars and you had to spend it on yourself, what would you do?

I’d probably buy a Kit-Kat and head over to the Hilton Hawaiian Village, flying first-class, and get a massage. Of course, I’d donate money to some local charities I support, too. Finally, I’d probably invest some of the money.

If you could change one thing in history, what would it be and why?

I wouldn’t change anything in history, for I wouldn’t know the future consequences or the chain of events I would trigger.

How are you more than a test score?

I have a personality that can’t be conveyed through boring numbers.

We like matching scholarships at Zinch, so why not give it a try for yourself?

Congratulations to the Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner, Chelsea Curry! She was the winner for the week ending in May 30. Her essay proved she is a talented writer and her Zinch profile proved she is a hard-working student as well.

Here is her winning essay:

Violence is the physical manifestation of anger, depression, and stress. To reduce the growing violence in schools requires a conscience effort to demonstrate empathy, concern, and compassion towards fellow classmates and teachers. Only then can we see better days in our schools.

Here is a little more about our winner:

My name is Chelsea Curry. I’m the second oldest of five. My four siblings are Krishna, Gabriel, Yasmeen, and Yusef, all of whom I love dearly. They inspired me to do as well as I have. I’m a lot of things: an athlete, a dreamer, a cook, a volunteer, a student, a sister, a friend, a collage artist, a writer, and a senior. I’m a pretty average senior, so college is one of the biggest things on my mind right now. I’m headed to Boston University this fall and I cannot express how excited I am. I want to major in International Relations and Film or Photojournalism at BU.

Congratulations, Chelsea!

Some of the runner-ups are below:

Alexandra Ventura: In all honesty, there is nothing one single person can do to decrease violence within schools. Our only option is to stop desensitizing ourselves and glossing over major casualties and pointless battles in history, and learn from our mistakes to, not to be cliche but, ensure students a better future.

Mika Ouellette: To decrease the amount of violence in schools I would support increased funding for student counseling services. So many of the students who commit violent acts are acting out negative emotions they have bottled up. If these students were given someone to talk to maybe there would be less violence.

Benjamin Krug: To decrease the amount of school violence, one must first recognize the cause of it: severe intolerance. Intolerance to race or class, or to a certain behavior or action, can be diffused in the classrooms. It is important for classes to help students learn that personal differences are okay.

Mary Studebaker-Reed: Today’s society has a credible influence and impact on children. If they see violence at home, on TV, in public, or elsewhere- especially from loved ones or family members- they are bound to repeat it at school. If we want to cut violence from school, we need to eliminate it from our society.

Rashida Luyombya: All it takes to decrease violence is understanding. Children who are understood and have a positive connection with humanity will most likely feel no need to impede violence on themselves or  others.These connections would create greater opportunities and yearning for better, safer life experiences.

Eric Guinan: Violence is a fickle thing, people are violent for very different reasons. The biggest reason is really a lack of love and a community. If we could somehow get across that we are all in this boat together, so we should all try to work together, then we might just be OK.

The essays were great this time around, but if you didn’t win, don’t be discouraged, there are plenty of opportunities! Be sure to update your profiles, though. You don’t want to write a great essay and forget that half of the judging is based on profiles.

Last week’s Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner is Cierra Kaler-Jones! Her essay showed her passion and interest in making a difference in this world.

Here is her winning essay:

“Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the heart of men.”  An effective and influential leader is what I aspire to be; if I could have exceptional skill in one area, it would be having the power to inspire others to work towards their goals.

Here is a little more about our winner:

First and most importantly, my name is Cierra. I am a junior at Absegami High School, where I participate in many activities. I’ve always been a hard-working, determined person & my drive has gotten me this far. My number one passion is dance; I’ve been performing ever since I could walk. Field hockey is another love of mine and I’ve fallen in love with the sport over these past three years. I’m the kind of person who puts their everything into what they’re passionate about. I see a bright future ahead of me and I hope you see it as well.

Congratulations Cierra!

Here are some of the other essays that came close:

Adeline Matayer: If I could be exceptionally talented at something it would be to be able to persuade people and influence them in a positive way. Our world, is deteriorating with war overseas, mothers killing their children, and hatred amongst our society; with that gift  my words will persuade and change our world.

Damial Fletcher: If I could be exceptionally talented at something I would be teaching the unteachable. If I could do this this would prove that everybody can learn no matter who you are our what circumstance you are in.

Karina Vado: Breathing spiritual and mental beauty into the lives of people would be a talent that could perhaps help alleviate the myriad of maladies that plague us globally. With this, I would be able to give others the ability to see and accept others ideals and beliefs. Although idealistic, it’d bring peace.

Seantasia Twiggs: If I could be exceptionally talented in something, it would be the ability to make a positive influence on someone’s life. There is nothing like the feeling of knowing that you helped make a difference in a person’s life, a difference that can possible determine their future.

Lydia Younger: Change.  I desire the ability to inspire change and to be the force that encourages people towards a more fulfilling future.  If I can do this, I will be able connect with and change the lives of those around me, starting with my family, my friends, my teachers, and my classmates.

Emily DeMent: Though not always the case, I personally feel that talent sometimes cheats a person out of working hard. Therefore, I feel it’s better to be flawed and work my hardest to gain some exceptional skill with a craft rather than to be born talented and potentially lazy. Hard work can make good character.

Jasmine Preciado: If there was one thing that I could be exceptionally talented at, I would be able to have a lasting affect on the lives of people today. With this, I would be better equipped to share my knowledge, hopes, and dreams for a better tomorrow. The world is ours; sharing myself is where I would begin.

Noreen Chaudry: If I could be exceptionally talented,I would choose to be an expert at stem cell researching. My step-brother suffers from cerebral palsy and I’d do anything to help him and prevent other children from suffering with his illness.  This talent would benefit me emotionally while others, physically.

Alexandria Rainwater: If I could be exceptionally talented at something it would be helping others realize their self-worth. Most people, especially students my age, look down upon themselves for not “looking” just right or making perfect grades. I want to help them realize it’s what on the inside that counts most.

If you’re feeling a little envious of Cierra right now, go over to this week’s essay and start writing! You never know, next week you could be featured on our blog.

Introducing yet another Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner, Mica Mathison! Her essay was from the week ending in May 16; deciding was a tough decision but her essay was inspiring and we knew she deserved this scholarship.

Here is her winning essay:

Many Americans wrongfully value security more than freedom. It is freedom that has given Americans the opportunity to value security. As Ben Franklin stated, “Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”

Here is a little more about our winner:

I’m Mica, and I am going to be a sophomore at Butler. I spend most of my spare time working and babysitting my 2 year old cousin this summer. I love volleyball, I love shopping, and I love my friends! I surround myself with great people and I have a lot of support from my family and friends in everything I do. Because of that, I have set high goals for myself, and I plan to achieve them, but I need a little help financially with that :)

Congratulations Mica!

Here are our runner ups with some great essays:

Patrick Grant: As Americans we value the security of our freedom. Once that security is tested we will roar like a lion to stand up for it and allow no one to take it from us.

Tameishia Peterson: I simply believe Americans value security more because without security, freedom is at risk.There is a sense of security in freedom therefore security is needed in order to be free.

Berrett Deming: To claim that America values either freedom or security more would be a simplistic outlook on the issue. In truth, freedom and security are concepts dependent upon one another. If we are not secure, our freedom is at risk, and if we are not free, we are not truly secure because we lack privacy.

Jessica Heiden: It is commonly believed that Americans value freedom but, without security, our freedom wouldn’t be completely possible. Therefore, we value security wholeheartedly and happily reap the benefits. It just so happens that one of those benefits is freedom.

Caleb Latimer: Americans value security the most because without security for our freedoms we would be savages struggling for our own existence. Our security is the reason why we all live such comfortable and easily un-oppressed lives. Our freedom coexists in our security.

Abigail Howard: When we are accused of breaking laws, we feel the system infringes on our freedoms. When people are hurt, we feel laws are not restricting enough. We want freedom when it suits us, but individual freedom may restrict the freedom of others, and so security maintains the balance.

Martin Lynn: This heroic question implies a binary. I don’t think I could group the entire nations opinion under one answer, but personally, I reminisce about my childhood scrapes and scabs. I think that many Americans who value security over freedom, are not aware of what freedoms they are truly sacrificing.

We really enjoyed the essays from this week, thanks for participating! There are always chances to win scholarships at Zinch.

The Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner from May 9 is Kari Randel! It was a lot of fun reading the essays from this week, but we couldn’t help but laugh at Kari’s.

Here is her winning essay:

My weapon of choice in a zombie apocalyspe would be my ipod and a set of speakers. I would play the zombies Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, because zombies love to dance. Mortals aren’t the only ones that can’t resist the evil of the thriller.

Here is a little more about our winner:

I can’t explain my entire personality, but I will say that I am analytical, and the only reason I believe that is due to the number of people who have told me so – though not all of them have used that exact word (to some, I’m “technical” and “nit-picky”, but I’ll withhold my retorts). So far, this is the only trait I’m sure of in my contradictory nature. Considering how analytical I am, one might think I should’ve discovered this quality in myself of my own accord, but human minds analyzing themselves without external help is a lot like eyeballs trying to view themselves without a mirror.

Congratulations Kari!

Here are our runner ups with some great essays:

Katie Richardson: In a Zombie Apocalypse, my weapon of choice would be the power of unity. If you think about it, you have more of a chance of surviving if you are with others, because you dont have to run the fastest, you just have to out run the slowest person.

Emily Keeling: In a zombie apocalypse, my weapon of choice would be a gigantic pink blowtorch the size of a Boeing 747.  Nobody ever messes with a girl who has a gigantic pink blowtorch.

Brianna Yancy: In a zombie apocalypse my weapon of choice would be the ability of telekinesis because I could just move all the zombies out of my way with my mind. If that doesn’t work I would use a Justin Bieber CD to incapacitate the zombies.They’ll be so horrified with the music,they’llt ry to get away from it.

Shelby Harris: If a zombie apocalypse were to occur, I have the solution that could utterly end them without human casualties. I would start a facebook group denouncing zombies in unimaginably cruel ways that everyone would join, thus ending their drive to even exist. In short, facebook is my weapon of choice.

Celeny Benitez: In a zombie apocalypse my weapon of choice would be Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. Bella would be the flesh to lure the zombies and then Edward Cullen could dazzle the zombies into submission.

Matthew Pina: In a zombie apocalypse, my weapon of choice would be my mother’s scathing tongue.  Trust me, her angry words and condemning looks have often awaken me out of a relaxing zombie-like state.  Fear not, no zombies have a chance with my mother when she gets on a mission!

Nathan Proctor: Zombies- the flesh craving creatures of the night we love to hate. In all forms of media we tear their rotting corpses limb from limb, collapse their skulls, and rearrange them via chainsaw, but have we ever stopped to listen?  It’s love that they groan for, and it is love that we shall give them.

Matthew Keeley: My ultimate weapon against an army of undead would be Kanye West. The evil corpses would be far too busy being interrupted to attack.

Ariel Alicea: In a zombie apocalypse my weapon of choice would be blankets because I am not much of a fighter so i could throw the blanket over their heads and RUN AS FAST AS I CAN! Every single time! I would bring extra blankets for my family too!

Thanks to everyone who participated!