(New York, NY – September 22, 2013) Congratulations to all student travel bloggers who earned 2013 Scholarships from Family Travel Forum (FTF) and the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) for college or further travels. Over 5,000 students ages 13-18, educated in US or American-International schools or home-schooled, applied for this merit scholarship.
The seventh Family Travel Forum Teen Travel Writing Scholarship accepted submissions April 15 through July 22, 2013. The topic, turning the author’s favorite community into a travel destination, was a departure from prior contests. “In writing about their chosen towns,” notes Fran Falkin, senior editor at Family Travel Forum, “we read of their great pride, and an appreciation for nature and close community ties.”
FTF was grateful for the sponsorship of event producer Travel Media Showcase (TMS), the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism CaymanKind program and CityPASS. Joanne Vero of TMS says, “We are committed to this scholarship with FTF and SATW because it helps our teens move write along to become the next generation of educated travelers.”
Three preliminary rounds of judging done by FTF interns, senior members of SATW and FTF editors narrowed down the huge volume of eloquent blogs, photographs and videos. The Quarter-Finalist rank, reached by 14% of the total entries submitted, was re-read until Semi-Finalist travel blogs numbered less than 1%.
The top Finalist essays were passed to a panel of professional travel journalists, editors and photographers from SATW who judged them on originality, eloquence and a sense of place. “We are honored to partner again wth FTF to celebrate teen travel writers and their future as travel journalists and photographers,” adds Lillian Africano, president of SATW.
We congratulate the Winners of the 2013 Family Travel Forum Teen Travel Writing Scholarship and thank them for submitting such great work.
FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship Winners for 2013:
1st Place ($1,000):
“The Wonderful Land of Coney” by Deborah Teslyar, Brooklyn, New York
2nd Place ($500):
“Shades of Gray: Mixing Light and Dark in St. Petersburg, Russia” by Diana Kruzman, Cupertino, California
3rd Place ($200):
“Orange City: Iowa’s Most Unique Cultural Jewel” by Bethany Dykstra, Orange City, Iowa
FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship Honorable Mentions 2013:
(Honorarium includes travel journals and passes to any Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! museum)
“Hipsters and Wanderers” by Anisha Agarwal, Portland, Oregon
“Sweet Simplicity” by Brock Allen, Concord, New Hampshire
“The Chocolate Covered Pretzel I Call Home” by Emily Bordelove, Henderson, Nevada
“The Hidden Gems of Canton” by Emily Bowen, Canton, Ohio
“Sunshine. Simplicity. Ssenga.” by Hannah Carrol, Englewood, Ohio
“Life Under the Big Sky – Bozeman, Montana” by Nichole Chimbos, Bozeman, Montana
“Colors in the Air” by Katy Cui, Bellevue, Washington
“The City of Sawdust “Claws” its Way into Top Tourist Destination” by Megan Diermeier, Oshkosh, Wisconsin
“Vancouver. (No, not BC.) Washington. (No, not DC.)” by Waverley He, Vancouver, Washington
“The Normal and Extraordinary Places of Bangladesh” by Neelim Haider, Arlington, Texas
“Good Things Come in Small Packages” by Kierstynn Holman, Webberville, Michigan
“Cows, Colleges, and Contentment” by Jessica Holmes, Dundas, Minnesota
“Star of Bavaria” by Jessica Hutcheson, Douglasville, Georgia
“Grab a Bike and Explore Wassenaar, NL” by Ashley Kopf, Houston, Texas
“A Panorama of Life: Poughkeepsie, NY” by Lavinia Liang, Poughkeepsie, New York
“What a Desert Oasis Really Looks Like” by Zoe Mendoza, Tucson, Arizona
“We’re Still in Kansas, Toto” by Natalie Moran, Overland Park, Kansas
“Second to None: Why Chicago is America’s Heart” by Gregory Ross, Elmhurst, Illinois
“Sizzlin’ n’ Spicy; that’s Right Y’all, I Live In Texas!” by Jessica Sadler, Arlington, Texas
“Austin, Texas – Things To Do and Reasons To Visit!” by Naomi Shamblin, Austin, Texas
“The Town Where Art Lives: Saugatuck” by Kate Stanloski, Allegan, Michigan
“Wild Wonders of the Himalayas” by Adam Verma, Houston, Texas
“Small-Town Delight in a Big-City World: Discovering Baldwinsville, NY” by Shelley Verma, Baldwinsville, New York
“Rural Japan – A Vacation for those in Need of More” by Monica Weller, Westminster, Colorado
“Forest, Farm, and Southern Charm: Why Hayden, Alabama is the Best Southern Travel Destination You’ve Never Heard Of” by Emily Wiginton, Warrior, Alabama
For the fourth year, prizes for Best Photograph and Best Video are given by SATW in recognition of the multimedia skills required of today’s professional travel journalists.
2013 Teen Travel Scholarship Best Photography
(SATW Honorarium of a $150 Photography Equipment Merchandise Gift Certificate)
“The Untouched Magic of Kaua’i: The Garden Island” by Kalena Wong, Kalaheo, Kaua’i, Hawai’i
2013 Teen Travel Scholarship Best Video
(SATW Honorarium of a $150 Photography Equipment Merchandise Gift Certificate)
“Running Saved My Life” by Michael Benjamin, Eastvale, California
About Family Travel Forum (FTF)
Family Travel Forum is the best resource for planning fun family vacations; trusted since 1996 by parents and grandparents traveling the world with kids. FTF’s award-winning vacation planning sites feature savvy tips and destination reviews; the Top 10 Getaways survey of resort-based infant programs; a robust Flee Market™; forums and user blogs highlighted in “The Complete Idiots Guide to the Best Family Destinations” (Alpha Penguin). FTF consults to the trade via Family Travel Consulting and co-hosts TMS Family Travel conference.
About Travel Media Showcase (TMS)
Travel Media Showcase (TMS), now in its 14th year, is the leading rendezvous for travel and tourism marketers to connect with media professionals and promote destinations, services and attractions. TMS Family Travel, in its 2nd year, runs professional enrichment conferences for media and sponsors interested in the family travel market. Both fun, first-class events are among the many successful meetings produced by J. Vero Associates, proud sponsors of the FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship.
About Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)
The Society of American Travel Writers was established in 1955, and its membership includes journalists, editors,photographers, filmmakers, bloggers, and communications professionals who specialize in the travel industry. SATW promotes responsible journalism, provides professional support and development for its members, and encourages the conservation and preservation of travel resources worldwide. To learn more about SATW and Travel’s Most Trusted Voices, please visit www.satw.org. Follow SATW on Facebook at www.facebook.com/satwofficial and on Twitter @SATW.
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Contact: Fran Falkin
Email: FTFstaff@familytravelforum.com
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A destiny I will never forget.
This was by far, the best vacation I have ever been on. I hope be awarded the scholarship so that I can go on to college, graduate with honors, and get a great job so that one day I can show my family what a great place Yellowstone National Park is. Thank you for considering my application!
I hope you enjoy my essay. Thank you for your time.
My favorite city so far!
It's such a beautiful place!
my trip.
Hey Everyone,
Thanks for checking out my blog. 🙂 I hope you enjoy.
With Much Appreciation,
– Zoe McDowell
hello
I have run short on space, yet I managed to squeeze in about 3/4ths of my trip.
Lordsburg and Demming are in New Mexico (I guess I should have edited that), and there are numerous other details I would have liked to have included….
If you're interested in traveling in my footsteps, I highly recommend the Togwotee Lodge and Resort, which is where we stayed during our trip.
While visiting Paris the summer I was fourteen, I was captivated my by its beauty. The city's rich culture, diverse people, and turbulent history fascinated me and captured my imagination. It was there that I discovered the wonder of adventure, and my never-ending love of Paris.
this is my actual scholarship submission. PLEASE DO NOT JUDGE THE PREVIOUS ENTRY. THIS IS MY SUBMISSION. THANK YOU.
This was the most incredible vacation ever! All my classmates who attended agreed and have remembered every memory from Washington D.C. Thank you School Tours of America and my special sponsors Mrs. Nobel and Mr. Fitch.
My trip to new york was wonderful. I even c reated a website to prove it.
http://nothinglikenewyork.shutterfly.com/
I almost did not go on this trip, worrying about what could go wrong, that summer would nearly be over when I returned, and how much it cost. But, I decided to take this trip to see a few of my German friends and their families, not knowing when, otherwise, I would see them again if I didn't take this opportunity. Now that I have returned home, I am very happy to have taken this trip.
My name is Inemesit Effiong.I am an avid reader and an ardent Colin Firth fan. I love outdoor activities, writing poetry, and volunteering. I have had the privilege of volunteering with several clubs like National Honor Society, Rotary Club, Interact Volunteer Club, and The Bridge Run. I enjoy watching Jeopardy with my father (mostly because of Alex Trebek) and I hope to pursue Nursing as a major. I entered this contest because I love exploring and I fell that my experience is very relatable, especially to teenagers my age, who would like to travel abroad, but lack the means or opportunity to do so.
This is a blog about my trip with my mother to New York City
I encourage you, go on a mission trip! You will never regret it. If anything it can help you to figure out your place in this world.
I raised money for this trip during the course of my Freshman year, first by a Bake Sale, which raised over $700, then by giving out poetry that I had written in exchange for donations. They expereince broadened me as a leader and created lasting friendships with other cultures.
This was my Italian experience. It was extremely fun and I can’t wait for the time when I get the chance to return.
Hope you enjoyed my essay! Just wanted to share my beliefs and personal experience. 🙂
Hopefully you can enjoy my post! It's what I believe and is my own personal experience. 🙂
My scholarship entry!
Im glad to share my families trip with you. I hope this inspires you to go on a trip with your family to Hawaii.
My vacation to Spain in general was one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done. The culture was rich and the archetecture was far more ornate than anything I've ever seen in the United States. I will defenately go back there some day if I am fortunate enough.
This particular blog was submitted as a scholarship essay to myfamilytravels.com, enjoy!
I truly am grateful for the wonderful opportunity I had to travel to Hong Kong for a month! I'll definitely think about living in Hong Kong in the future!
I hope people can read this travel blog and see for themselves how great the aftermath of war is. Because of war, these children have to suffer every single day. ):
This blog was very fun to write, it let me reevaluate what had happened during the trip and laugh about it once again. Maybe it will inspire someone else to do what what my family did and go through the indescribable little horrors that we all went through. Happy traveling!
If you have ever wondered what a BIG city is, than New York City is the place for you to go! i had a blast there! Check it out!!
I had alot of fun writing this essay.
Europe is a great place to visit!
it looks cool!
Here is my scholarship for the Teen Travel Writing Scholarship of my journey to Alaska!
My trip to London.
I discovered that I was a pretty good photographer while on this trip. I now take all the family vacation pictures!
My trip to Yellowstone was truly amazing! Yellowstone is a must-see for all nature lovers and hikers!
The wedding took place on August 6, 2011.
this was a wonerful trip with friends & family
My experience was amazing here!
My essay describes the emotional connection to the effects of a storm which would seemingly ruins a trip to Lake Michigan.
I wish I could have written more about Germany, but summing up a vacation such as that in only 600 words seemed impossible to me. I would have never guessed I would have learned so much about myself there. We did activitivities I would never seen myself doing in a million years. Many of the students that went on the trip I would not normally be friends with, but at the end of the day no matter how different we were from one another, we were all friends and family to eachother and still keep in touch till this day. I don't know when I will be able to go on such an amazing adventure again, but my advice to whoever comes across this is, if you have the oppritunity, take it. Even if you are apprehensive, take the risk because I'm willing to bet you will learn so much more.
Thank you all for reading this and best of luck to everyone who entered this contest!
We love going to the Hawaiian Islands. Maui was one of our favorites. Molokini Crater is just off of the Maui coast. I couldn't believe at the variety of fish we snorkeled with–we even glimpsed a reef shark! Snorkeling at Molokini Crater was a great experience and was the inspiration for this short essay.
This is my scholarship essay, please confirm that it has been entered. Thank you!
The reason for my visit to Nigeria was because of a death in my family. In the attatched picture, I am in the middle, surrounded by my family members as we walked toward the area where the ceremony was to be held. The whole experience of visiting Nigeria a third time (but as a teenager) opened my eyes and made me realize that there are things in the world bigger than just me and my problems, and it's my job to find a way to give back before time runs out.
This was my family trip to Missouri…never forget how important learning and family is.
I am a young international traveler interested in seeing the dynamics between different cultures acted out out not only through travel but through international relations on a global stage. Trips to Belize and across the world have cemented my belief that nations working together is for the good of everyone on earth.
I wrote this for the Scholarship writing contest.
This is my entry for the FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholorship!
I hope that everyone can learn a little about this unique country from my blog. There are so many more things I wish I could say, but space is limited!