(New York, NY – September 18, 2018) Family Travel Forum (FTF) and its travel industry partners congratulate the winners of the 2018 FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship. Completing its 12th year, this annual merit scholarship has been hosted by the award-winning vacation guide publisher to promote teen literacy and reward teens’ best travel blogs with cash prizes for college or future travels.
Between May 1 and July 9, 2018, over 2,000 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.
The generous sponsorship of Allianz Global Assistance USA, ScholarTrips, Travel Media Showcase, TMS Family Travel, Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), CityPASS and Lonely Planet made the 12th annual scholarship possible.
“We are honored to be one of the sponsors of the 12th annual FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship,” said Daniel Durazo, director of marketing and communications for Allianz Global Assistance USA. “Providing students with an opportunity to learn through travel creates greater opportunities for them to succeed in life and have a better understanding of global cultures and ideas. Allianz Global Assistance is dedicated to protecting and helping travelers wherever they may go.”
“We’re also happy to be able to help students explore their world and we’re thrilled to support both the FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship and our very own ScholarTrips program,” Durazo adds.
FTF Senior Editor Fran Falkin said “Year after year we are impressed by the student’s eloquence, their vivid descriptions of nature, appreciation of cultural diversity and thoughtful observations about human interactions. We are also extremely appreciative of our sponsors for their sustaining support. It is very gratifying to acknowledge this impressive work and know we’ve encouraged more than 55,000 teens over the years to share their travels.”
Preliminary rounds of judging were done by FTF interns and staff. Winners were selected from the top 1% by a team of professional educators from the Journalism Education Association (JEA), writers from SATW, and representatives from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Tourism Cares, the charitable arm of the travel and tourism industry. 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 2018 Family Travel Forum Teen Travel Writing Scholarship and thank all bloggers for submitting such great work.
2018 FTF TEEN TRAVEL WRITING SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS:
Winners receive a cash stipend plus a GoPro Travel Bag:
1st Place – $1,000
“Breathtaking Burials: Bogus or Believable?,” by Irene Yi, Central High School, Grand Rapids, MI
2nd Place – $500
“A Leopard’s Way,” by Kathryn Ribbens,” Cole Valley Christian Schools, Meridian, ID
3rd Place – $250
“Reflections on Omaha Beach,” by Ian Hubbard, Hampton Bays High School, Hampton Bays, NY
2018 FTF TEEN TRAVEL WRITING SCHOLARSHIP HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Honorees receive a Certificate of Commendation and a subscription to Lonely Planet Magazine:
“Go Play In The Snow!,” by Zoie Buske, Harmony School of Advancement, Houston, TX
“International Mafia,” by Ali Cohen, Chandler Preparatory Academy, Chandler, AZ
“California Dreams,” by Daman Cusick, Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, KY
“Savor(y) Switzerland,” by Elizabeth Goldin, Highland Park High School, Highland Park, IL
“Da Vinci Day,” by Lesharyn Jackson, West Career & Technical Academy, Las Vegas, NV
“My Guatemala,” by Ruby Johnston, Santa Cruz High School, Santa Cruz, CA
“A Picture Into the Past,” by Jola Laguda, Quincy High School, Quincy, MA
“An Unexpected Village Dance Party,” by Joshua Leong, McLean High School, McLean, VA
“Peace Train,” by Brooke Mickle, Westlake High School, Austin, TX
“Home Is Where You Park It,” by Olivia Morrison, Morrison Home School, Bedford, NH
“The Philippines: Living in a Childhood That Was Never Mine,” by Alana Ordonez, Harker Heights High School, Harker Heights, TX
“A Winding Road,” by Giselle Pfaeffle, Patrick Henry High School, Roanoke, VA
“Mississippian Ripples,” by Brenna Salverson, Dunlap High School, Dunlap, IL
“Creature of the Coast,” by Mia Shipp, Vandebilt Catholic High School, Houma, LA
“At Home, Three Thousand Miles Away,” by Madeline Short, Goffstown High School, Goffstown, NH
“The Moment I Was Aware of A Cruel World,” by Grace Smart, Los Osos High School, Rancho Cucamonga, CA
“The Treasures Concealed by Mesas of Arizona,” by Hope Stevenson, Carl Sandberg High School, Orland Park, IL
“Get Lost: How A GPS Error Led Me to the Beauty of Alexandria, VA,” by Riley Sutherland, Liberty North High School, Liberty, MO
“The Feast,” by Birukti Tsige, Malden High School, Malden, MA
“Santiago’s Tears Of Joy,” by Hunton Warren, St. Mary’s School, Raleigh, NC
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
Operating in 34 countries, Allianz Global Assistance is a leading insurance and assistance company that provides insurance to 35 million U.S. customers annually. The company is best known for its Allianz Travel Insurance plans, which protect 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. Allianz Global Assistance also supports student travel by providing merit scholarships through their ScholarTrips essay contest. Since 2017, ScholarTrips has given over $175,000 in scholarships to hundreds of students who have realized their dream of international travel.
About TTW Travel Industry Partners
Travel Media Showcase and TMS Family Travel, divisions of J. Vero & Associates, are designed to bring together leading print and broadcast travel media with tourism representatives from around the world to showcase new regions for media to cover, and connect destinations with qualified leads. The Society of American Travel Writers, a tax-exempt, professional association established in 1955, includes journalists, editors, photographers, filmmakers, bloggers, and communications professionals who specialize in the travel industry.
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Contact: Fran Falkin
Email: FTFstaff @familytravelforum.com
Thanks to our 2018 Scholarship Sponsors!
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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!