Hodgdon High School senior Courtney Jurson and Katahdin High School seniors Joel Birmingham and Morgan Livezy are seeking the public’s support for a chance to win a $5,000 scholarship from Hood.
The Hood Sportsmanship Scholarship Program rewards 18 deserving high school students with $5,000 toward furthering their education at a two- or four-year accredited college or university.
Members of the public can vote once per day, up until April 18 ay 3 p.m. for the student whose essay deserves to be a finalist for the Hood Sportsmanship Scholarship. The 10 students who receive the most votes will be selected as finalists. Finalists will be interviewed in May by a panel of judges and three students from each state will be selected as winners. The winners will be honored at an awards ceremony and entered into the Hood Sportmanship Scholarship Hall of Fame.
The following are the essays three students wrote for the contest.
Jurson — Since I was a young child, my parents helped me form my moral code. My life is based on diligence, responsibility, and most of all, integrity. I stand up for what is right and treat others fairly. Whenever I am at school, work, and playing sports, integrity guides my choices. Achieving satisfactory grades is my first priority. I don’t agree with cheating. When my classmate asked me if I want to copy their homework, I do not accept their offers.
When I graduate, I want a clear conscience that I honestly earned my diploma on my own merit. During high school, I have volunteered at least 300 hours in my community. Organizations I’ve helped include Girl Scouts, Adopt-A-Block of Aroostook, Military Street Baptist Church, and Hodgdon High School. I enjoy the opportunity to help others and the ability to bring a smile to someone’s face. Throughout my high school career, I played varsity soccer and basketball where I always tried to be a good sport. When someone was knocked down, I picked them back up. I cheered on my teammates and didn’t trash talk the opposing team.
Throughout the games, I followed the rules and respected the officials. I think being a team player is a valuable asset. So far, my moral compass has guided me to the right paths in school,work, and sports. I believe it will continue to do so. I look forward to what doors opens so that I can improve my school, my community, my country, and my world.
Birmingham — “Soccer is a magical game,” said David Beckham. The game of soccer is my favorite. I spent four years playing in high school. I wouldn’t trade a single day playing this sport I love. It’s been a wild ride. Freshmen year was tough, everyday getting trampled by older teammates and my older brother, who was on the team.
The pressure to be good was on, and by the end of the season I got to be decent. Between the practice and a great coach, I had an understanding of what to do and when to do it. Sophomore and junior year, I went from bench warmer to starting stopper. It was hard work getting myself into shape to play 80 minutes, but I got it. We hardly won a game, but it was two hard fought seasons.
Senior year, I was captain of a team. It was hard to go through the things we went through, like bad calls, cheap shots, and not bench, but we poured our hearts into every game. I scored my only high school goal my senior year.
It was a fun year, and I would love to do it again if I could. Soccer might be over for my lifetime, but the memories will always be there. I love this sport and every night I poured my heart and soul into it. I hope that I’ve left my mark on players this year, and they learn from what I did to become really good players.
Livezy — Discipline! In order to be the best teammate you can be, discipline is not an optional characteristic. It’s a must have.
As captain of my varsity basketball team for two years, I learned that being disciplined in all areas of my life is important. Not only was it important to maintain discipline on the court, but also outside of the gym. Discipline is an important quality to obtain in order to lead your team with character and integrity.
In practice, you need discipline yourself to the best of your abilities and you must be willing to work on your weaknesses. In a game, you need discipline to obtain self-control when playing against your opponent. In order for me to obtain good character and leadership skills towards my teammates and my opponents, I had to discipline myself in putting these skills into practice.
I know I am a good sport both on and off the court because I discipline myself in working at it. I always encourage my teammates to do their best with a good attitude. Having self-control on the court is crucial. I always tell the girls that anyone with the proper coaching can be a good athlete but it takes a person of character and integrity to be a great one.
Hood Milk has helped kids grow healthy and strong for more than 160 years. For the fifth consecutive year, the company is offering $90,000 in scholarship funds to celebrate the integrity and sportsmanship of New England students as they continue their education.
To vote, visit www.hood.com /promo/scholarship.
