2020 Florence Kidder Scholarship Winners
We have winners!
This year, we received a total of 139 applications. 19 of these made it to the statewide competition. This year's essay topic was:
Historic Preservation in North Carolina
Over the years, many organizations have preserved historic buildings and sites. Please locate a historic building or site in or near your county and expound on its significance. The building/site should have been built/significant prior to the 20th century. Your essay should be about the people who lived there, events that took place there, cultural aspects of the time, etc. Who preserved the building/site? Why do you think historical preservation is important?
This year’s essays were well thought out, educational and delightful to read. It was very difficult to narrow the competition down to a winner and runner-up. Thankfully we had extra money to award allowing for a third place winner and three fourth place winners. Co-reader Lane Stallings and I read essays on the historical significance of Guilford College and the still standing Underground Railroad Tree, the road to the preservation of the one room Bostick Schoolhouse in Ellerbe, the social and historical importance of Salem Academy and College, an imagined story of how a real historical church was saved from destruction in Greenville, NC, the story of two extraordinary women associated with the Burwell School in Hillsborough, amongst many other informative essays. The winning essays were the ones that we felt most thoroughly addressed the essay topic while being well written and properly documented.
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The first place $3,000 winner this year is Lucas Thomae who wrote about the preservation of historic Guilford College and the Underground Railroad Tree. The personal touches he added and the flow of his writing style showed his superior journalistic ability. Lucas is from the Guilford committee area and attends Grimsley High School. Lucas is an Eagle Scout, captain of the cross country team, junior marshal, member of the National Honor Society, amongst other honors and activities. Lucas will be attending UNC Chapel Hill’s school of journalism this fall. The teacher who recommended Lucas wrote, “Lucas has been one of my strongest students in a history class. He is an excellent candidate for a scholarship that honors Florence Hill Kidder.” Read his essay here. |
| The second place $1000 award goes to Carley Lambeth who wrote a well-researched paper about the preservation of the 19th century Bostick Schoolhouse in Ellerbe, NC. Her paper emphasized the benefits of historical preservation and detailed the different uses of the building throughout time until its current preserved state. Carley attends Richmond Senior High School in Richmond County and is presented by the Pee-Dee committee. She has excellent grades, was a junior marshal, is a member of the National Honor Society and the Beta Club and devotes her free time helping others through her church and community. Carley’s volleyball and soccer coach wrote, “In all my dealings with Carley she has shown to be a young woman of character, intelligence, and talent.” Carly has applied to many fine colleges and universities in North Carolina. Read her essay here. |
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A third place $800 award goes to Sarah Mathis, presented by the Forsyth Committee. She wrote a very enjoyable and thoroughly researched essay about Salem Academy and College and the education of all women. Sarah has won the Teacher’s Choice Award at Reagan High School for three consecutive years recognizing students who make a profound impact on their teachers’ lives. She will be attending Appalachian State University. Read her essay here. |
Three $400 fourth place awards go to Abbey Dunnigan presented by the Lenoir-Pitt Committee (Read here), Allison Tippin presented by the Durham-Orange Committee (Read here), and Lan Truong presented by the Guildford Committee (Read here).
For a third year it has been a real pleasure to be able to read wonderful essays written by our future historically minded generation!
Thank you!
Louise Ripple, FKMS chair
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