Two from Vicksburg win essay competition

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Two Vicksburg students working toward their GEDs at Good Shepherd Community Center are winners of the Spring Leadership Essay Contest sponsored by the Tougaloo College Educational Opportunity Center.

Amanda Ware, 21, and Anita Thompson, 22, each wrote a five-paragraph essay on the assigned topic, What impact will President Obama have on your life?

“Obama sets a good example for all African-Americans,” Ware wrote in her essay. “He encouraged me to get my GED and go further in life.”

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Ware and Thompson were among three winners chosen from five counties — Warren, Yazoo, Madison, Hinds and Leake. The third winner was from Madison County. The students’ essays were judged on grammar and content.

“I think the world of them,” said Georgia Durman, director of the GED program at Good Shepherd Community Center. “They study for long hours completing their assignments.”

Ware hopes to enter the medical field as a certified nursing assistant, and Thompson plans to enroll in the military, earn a degree in criminal justice, and become a journalist.

The winners of the essay contest were announced at Tougaloo College’s spring leadership conference last month.

Kenya Nelson, Tougaloo College Education Opportunity Center educational adviser, said, “Their essays inspired me  — it seemed like it was from the heart. They used their own personal stories and testimonies.”

The EOC at Tougaloo helps adults pursue educational opportunities. The program provides information on postsecondary education admission requirements, financial aid and career assessments.

Good Shepherd offers a free GED program for those older than 18 who are looking to complete their secondary education. After finishing the program, students take the GED exam, which is given monthly at Hinds Community College’s Vicksburg campus and costs $40.

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Contact Manivanh Chanprasith at mchanprasith@vicksburgpost.com