Theme: "Still Pioneering Together”

For years, The Days of ’47 Essay Contest has encouraged students to reflect on topics of importance to the creation of strong communities and to recognize the sacrifices made by pioneers in the early days of the State of Utah.  The theme this year is "Still Pioneering Together".  Utah students in grades 10 through 12 were invited to submit essays expanding, explaining or elaborating on this theme as they chose.  The deadline for submission was March 28, 2008.

Congratulations to the 2008 winners who are:

Sharisa Nay, 1st Place

Bethany Coleman, 2nd Place

Tiffany Jo White, 3rd Place

Their essays will be available on this site shortly and biographies will be added for each 2008 winner.  Please check back for those additions to our site!

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Click here to print the 2008 Essay Contest announcement letter to Utah school administrators.

Click here to print the 2008 Essay Contest instructions.

Click here to print the 2008 Essay Contest Cover Sheet which must accompany all entries.

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Our 2007 Essay Contest winners were:

First Place Prize Winner

Jeffrey Harding was born in October, 1988 to Ralph and Janice Harding, in Layton, Utah.  He is the youngest of seven children and is a grduating senior of Layton High School, class of 2007.  He enjoys reading and all kinds of art, especially drawing, writing, photography, music and amateur filmmaking.  He also loves the outdoors and learning about the earth.

Second Place Prize Winner

Charlotte Searle was born in San Francisco, California and lived her earlier childhood in Maryland.  For the past 11 years, she has lived in Utah.  She loves to write and read.  Every school year she looks forward to her English class where she writes stories and poems and reads novels.  Her free time is usually spent curled up with a good book.  While also enjoys History classes and music is an important part of her life.  She has played the piano for eight years and the flute for six -- and she is now learning to play the guitar.  She has volunteered as a docent at This Is The Place Heritage Park for the past six years, making soap, cooking Dutch oven dinners, creating corn husk dolls and weaving rag rugs.

Third Place Winner

Lindsey McMillan has loved being a student at Layton High School.  While participating in the show choirs Lace and Laytones, she said she truly fulfilled her childhood dreams.  The adrenaline rush she received from performing kept her motivated to attend all the extra rehearsals.  She also loved being a Junior and Senior Clas Officer, where she made unforgettable friends.  As the youngest member of her family, and the only one not married, she loves to travel with her fun family around the world.  This fall, Lindsey will attend Brigham Young University on a scholarship and will major in Dietetics.  She has a passion for learning, friends, Jamba Juice and BYU football games with her mom.

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Submissions for the 2008 Essay Contest were received through March 28, 2008.  The essays were a maximum of 750 words (approximately two pages) and must be typewritten and double-spaced.  Essays may be written from a personal, historical and/or cultural perspective, and must focus on our 2008 theme:  "Still Pioneering Together".  Standard grammar and syntax must be used.  The contest is open to all Utah students in grades 10 through 12 during the 2007-2008 school year.  Each entry must be attached to a completed cover sheet, signed by the student and the teacher, certifying the essay was written by the student.  Entries without a signed, completed cover sheet will be disqualified.

For more information contact:

Essay Contest Chair:  Dr. Carol Clark, 801.240.3382, cclark@daysof47.com

or

Essay Contest Committee Member:  Holly Clayton, 801.257.7959, hclayton@daysof47.com