HANDS Essay Contest 2009 Winners Announced!

The final results are in, and we are pleased to announce the winners of HANDS’ Essay Contest! A generous donation of $10,000 was given to HANDS with the objective of sponsoring an essay competition to help five deserving students fund their higher education pursuits while raising awareness of the importance of cross cultural engagement in international community development work. Because our mission focuses on the Middle East and Egypt, we also wanted students to better understand the development needs for the most populous Arab country. The contest was open to all students whether they were just entering college or finishing a doctoral thesis. More than 850 essays came from a diverse range of students, spanning a variety of ages, ethnicities and schools.

The topic our contestants were asked to address was: "How is community development in the Middle East important to the U.S? Why is it particularly crucial to focus on Egypt?" The winners, listed below, showed a nuanced understanding of the topic presented, a mastery of language and a clear sense of voice and style.

• Grand Prize Winner, $5,000: Benjamin Pomerance, Undergraduate at Plattsburgh State University, New York (read the essay)
• 2nd Place Winner, $2,500: Lora Fahnestock, Graduate Student at Eastern University, Pennsylvania (read the essay)
• 3rd Place Winner, $1,500: Benjamin Baumgartner, Undergraduate at Goshen College, Indiana (read the essay)
• Honorable Mention, $500: Ava G. Leone, Graduate Student at Georgetown University,  Washington DC (read the essay)
• Honorable Mention, $500: Domenic Terpolilli, Graduate Student at Penn State University, Pennsylvania (read the essay)

This contest was a success as a result of the hard work, time and cooperation of many individuals, including our esteemed panel of judges. Over sixty judges, among them ambassadors, businesspeople, academics, and government officials generously brought their time and expertise to the judging table. All of our judges are experts in their fields having spent their lives and careers working for a sustainable future for the Middle East.

With big THANK YOU to our patron for sponsoring this contest, to the judges for dedicating their time to review the essays and select the winners, and to all the students who participated, we bring HANDS’ 2009 Essay Contest to an end.