Family Travel Forum Announces Winners Of 2019 Teen Travel Writing Scholarship - My Family Travels

(New York, NY – September 24, 2019) Family Travel Forum (FTF) and its travel industry partners congratulate the winners of the 2019 FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship. Completing its 13th year, this annual merit scholarship is hosted by the award-winning vacation guide to promote teen literacy and reward teens’ best travel blogs with cash prizes for college or future travels. 

Between May 1 and July 12, 2019, more than 1,100 students in US, Canada, American-International schools or home-schools applied to blog about a travel experience, whether near or far, that had a meaningful impact. 

1st Place Winner Karen Yang wrote about the mysterious Angel Island, California.

Family Travel Forum is appreciative of the sponsors’ generous sustaining support in encouraging more than 56,000 teens over the years to share their travels.  Allianz Global Assistance USATravel Media ShowcaseTMS Family TravelCarnivalHolland America LinePrincess CruisesCityPASSRough Guides and Hip Homeschool Moms made the 13th annual scholarship possible. 

Finalist judge Kit Bernardi of KitTravels, an award winning journalist and photographer, said, “I enjoyed judging again. The finalist essays were good reads all about the power of travel to bring people together, transform our views and be better humans. I always learn a lot from these young writers.”

FTF Scholarship Coordinator Michelle Marine said, “It is impressive to read these empowering travel stories written by such young people. Travel has the ability to leave a great mark on humanity and I thoroughly enjoyed learning how students approach cultural diversity, interact meaningfully even without a common language, and share their profound learning experiences with the travel community.” 

After preliminary rounds of judging, winners were selected from the top 3% by a team of professional journalists who write for publications including Lonely PlanetTaking the KidsTime Out, USA TODAY, South China Morning Post, AAA Publications, FamilyTravelForum.com and more. Finalist essays were judged on creativity and eloquence; a sense of place; emotional impact; vocabulary and style; and grammar, punctuation and spelling. 

We congratulate the winners of the 2019 Family Travel Forum Teen Travel Writing Scholarship and thank all bloggers for submitting such great work. 

2019 FTF TEEN TRAVEL WRITING SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS: 

Winners receive a cash stipend plus a GoPro Travel Bag from sponsor Allianz Global Assistance USA: 

1st Place – $1,000, ANGEL ISLAND’S MYSTERIES by Karen Yang  

2nd Place – $500, PONDS, PAGODAS, AND PRAYER AT NANPUTUO TEMPLE by Kaitlyn Cao  

3rd Place – $250 – THE SINISTER SITE OF SACHSENHAUSEN by Michael Parnell  

2019 FTF TEEN TRAVEL WRITING SCHOLARSHIP HONORABLE MENTIONS: 

Honorees receive a Certificate of Commendation, their choice of Rough Guides travel guide and 10 will receive CityPASS ticket booklets: 

  GET LOST by Anna Dunn  

   A SPECIAL NIGHT IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC by Mizuki Kai    

   HER NAME WAS XOCHITL by Cristian Conzalez  

   YELLOW MOUNTAIN: FROM A PICTURE TO REAL LIFE by Andrew Xu  

   AS WHITE AS SNOW by Betty Kang  

    IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE FALLEN By Anthony Kehl   

    DYING TO GO HOME by Julia Butler  

    DISCOVERING MY IRISH FAMILY HERITAGE by Madigan Wilford  

    FOUND IN BULGARIA by Victoria Dinov

    TURKISH MUSE by Omar Barakat

    TEMPERATURE AND ELEVATION: AN INVERSE RELATIONSHIP by   Rhiannon Eplett  

    BITTER TEAS, SWEET VIEWS by Elizabeth Shull  

    INDIA: A TALE OF TWO WORLDS by Dharshan Varia

   POLEBRIDGE, MONTANA, YOU’RE MY HUCKLEBERRY by Keziah Dutt  

   THE DISCOVERY OF A NEW LANGUAGE IN HAITI by Abigail Almeda   

    TO HELL AND BACK by Jackson Ellis  

   GRAND CANYON RIM2RIM: A TEST OF FORTITUDE by Rachel Kline  

   HUMBLING HISTORY LESSON-A VISIT TO ANNE FRANK’S HOUSE by Marenda Macking  

  A SICILIAN TIMETABLE by Brooke Carruthers 

  “FOURTH” WORLD TRAVELS; BRINGING HOPE TO HAITI by Gracen McDonald  

About Family Travel Forum 

Family Travel Forum has been the trusted vacation planning resource for global travel with kids and grandkids since 1996. FTF’s expert and community content has been seen on Disney’s Family.com and other sites, in “America’s Most Popular Family Vacations,” “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Best Family Destinations,” “Amazing Places to Take Your Kids in North America” and by millions of traveling families. In addition to co-hosting the annual TMS Family Travel Summit and conferences, FTF ventures include the “The Family Vacationist” blog and e-alert; and Family Travel Consulting to the trade in partnership with Taking the Kids. 

About Allianz Global Assistance USA 

Operating in 34 countries, Allianz Global Assistance USA is a leading insurance and assistance company that provides insurance to 40 million U.S. customers annually. The company is best known for its Allianz Travel Insurance plans, which protect travelers and student travelers from unexpected trip cancellations or losses while traveling. Plans are available in annual or per trip coverage. The company’s partners include leading travel agencies, airlines and other travel suppliers.

Contact: Michelle Marine

Email: [email protected]

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