NACAC and its Inclusion, Access, and Success Committee (IAS) recently recognized the winners of its 2019 Video Essay Contest.

The contest, held annually in the city that hosts the association’s national conference, was sponsored this year by ZeeMee—an online platform that helps students apply to colleges and decide where to go. Snippets of the winning videos were shared last week during the opening session of NACAC’s 75th National Conference in Louisville.

High school juniors, seniors, and community college students from the area submitted two-minute videos that answered the question: “Why is continuing your education after high school important to you?”

“This is one of the most fulfilling efforts the association undertakes each year,” said IAS Committee Chair Natalie Garza. “This contest offers NACAC a tangible way to put our mission into action as we support students in their college transition.”

In total, $11,000 in scholarships were awarded.

2019 winners include:

• Emily Chambers, graduated from Grayson County High School (KY) and now a freshman at studying music education at Western Kentucky University. ($5,000 scholarship)
• Natalie Copeland, graduated from J. Graham Brown High School (KY) and now a freshman studying nursing at Western Kentucky University. ($1,000 scholarship)
• Kiara Gross, graduated from Atherton High School (KY) and now a Digital Media Collaborative student at the University of Cincinnati (OH). ($1,000 scholarship)
• Eriana Meadows, graduated from Henry Clay High School (KY) and now a freshman majoring in biology at Gardner–Webb University (NC). ($1,000 scholarship)
• Nasim Mohammadzadeh, a senior at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (KY) who plans to attend college to study neuroscience or biology and then pursue a medical degree. ($1,000 scholarship)
• Hailey Neal, graduated from McLean County High School (KY) and now a freshman majoring in communications, public relations, and advertising at Kentucky Wesleyan College. ($1,000 scholarship)
• Ayomikun Oyeleye, a senior at Jeffersontown High School (KY) who plans to attend college and then pursue a medical degree. ($1,000 scholarship)

Admitted writer/editor Mary Stegmeir welcomes additional comments and story ideas at mstegmeir@nacacnet.org.