Fifth Annual Scholarship Competition

The Sonlight Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce the winners of the 2004 Sonlight Curriculum College Scholarship Competition. All seven winners will be awarded four-year college scholarships to fund their attendance at the colleges of their choice.

It was extremely difficult for us to choose this year's winners. In fact, it was so difficult this year that we decided to give six applicants $500 one-time honorable mention awards in addition to the normal 4-year scholarships we've awarded to the seven winners.

$5000, 4-Year Scholarship ($20,000 total)

• Scott C. McIntosh of Lexington, Kentucky won this year's $5000 scholarship. He plans to major in finance and accounting at the University of Kentucky in order to help him build a rental property business and expand the lawn mowing business he and his brother have run for the past 8 years.

  Scott's natural leadership skills and active involvement in the community are inspirational. He has served as a Youth Council representative for his church's youth group, a tutor of underprivileged children, Vice President of the Mars Hill Home School Co-op, team captain of the Mars Hill basketball team, and a missionary to Ayutla, Mexico and Anchorage, Alaska.
  Scott writes: "Thank you so much for your curriculum! I have used it for most of my elementary, middle, and high school career and I have learned so much because of it. The books you've had me read have been exceptional and have helped to foster in me a love for learning and for God's Kingdom. My favorites are Cry, the Beloved Country and Carry On, Mr. Bowditch (that one was a long time ago...). Thank you for this scholarship program also--I am very excited about this next chapter in my life and all that God has for me in it. May God bless you richly as you continue to grow in your knowledge and love for Him."

$2500, 4-Year Scholarship ($10,000 total)

• Peter L. Bouck of Germantown, Tennessee won one of this year's $2500 scholarships. He has a strong interest in linguistics and hopes to one day translate the Bible for isolated peoples who have no written language.

  Peter has already put his aptitude for writing to good use as editor of Westminster Academy's yearbook and literary magazine. He has also served as a missionary to Mexico and Brazil, plus he has taught parliamentary procedure and debate to young people as part of the YMCA Youth in Government program.
  Peter plans to attend Georgetown University in the fall.

• Matthew F. Banner of Conover, North Carolina also won a $2500 scholarship. He plans to attend Carnegie Mellon University or Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he will major in computer science.

  Matthew has shown exceptional skills in programming and web design. In fact, he's been instrumental in building (and writing for!) The Homeschool Connexion website, an online gathering place "completely for and by homeschooled kids and teens."
  In addition to web design, Matthew is also an Eagle Scout who, for his Eagle Project, raised the funds for and constructed a 16' x 20' shelter for Camp Joy.
  After he has graduated from college, Matthew hopes to apply his computer skills toward creating Bible translation software or other software that might benefit pastors and missionaries.

$1000, 4-Year Scholarship ($4,000 total)

• Rebekah A. Ramsay of Karaganda, Kazakhstan is currently choosing from among eight colleges to pursue a liberal arts degree, possibly in Russian Studies or Foreign Affairs. But, as Rebekah says, "I am open and waiting to see where God will lead."

  The daughter of missionaries, Rebekah has been an active member of her church's praise and worship team. Despite the lack of extracurricular activities where she lives, she helped start the MK Theatre Group and has been the main talent behind a number of plays, skits, and videos she and her friends have produced.

• Hannah E. Qualls of Moscow, Idaho plans to attend both New Saint Andrews College and the University of Idaho where she will pursue a medical degree.

  Hannah has received the Congressional Award Gold Medal for completing four hundred hours of public service. Furthermore, she is a Master Gardener, a member of the Thespian Society, and has performed musical compositions on the radio by select invitation.
  What is a Master Gardener, you ask? It's a certification Hannah earned by completing 40 hours of education and 40 hours of volunteer service. To maintain her certification, she has to complete 30 hours of ongoing education and volunteer work per year. Hannah explains: "I identify various weeds, determine diseases, insects, and nutrient problems, and find solutions to the problems people have with their gardens."
  Hannah has great compassion for people who are hurting and sick, and feels her calling is to serve as a Physician Assistant in a rural town. She also hopes to marry a godly Christian man and homeschool her own children.

• Matthew R. Drwenski of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma has a passion for politics and history. His experience as a page at the Oklahoma state capital and a world politics course he took at a local college have, in part, inspired him to pursue a degree in political science.

  Like Matthew Banner above, Matthew Drwenski is also an Eagle Scout. For his Eagle Project, he raised the funds for and supervised the construction of an archery range for Shiloh Camp, a Christian camp for inner-city children.
  Matthew has also displayed ambition and business savvy in his work. He went from a ride operator to the supervisor of The Digital Photo Store at Frontier City amusement park in a short two months.
  Though unsure of where he will attend college, Matthew has narrowed his choices to four universities: Rice University, Southwestern University, Trinity University, or Tulsa University.

• Samuel R. Smith of Cullman, Alabama is an effective speaker and an established sculptor. In fact, he has received the highest JEWEL (Judging Every Work - Evaluating with Love) awards for oral presentation and art sculpture.
  Samuel is also a skilled actor. He and his sister wrote and performed a skit that raised $10,000 for Russia for Christ Summer Camps. He also played the part of a retarded person in another skit for JEWEL that touched one woman so deeply she wrote a letter. In it "she stated she wept through the entire performance and realized how special her child was to the Lord."
  In addition to his speaking, sculpting, and acting, Samuel has also dutifully supported Eagle's Wings Ministry, a Christian outreach ministry to native Indians.
  Samuel plans to attend Wheaton College or Samford University where he desires to pursue a medical career.

Honorable Mention (one-time $500 awards)

• Lyndsey Rose Gangel of Toccoa Falls, Georgia
• Sarah Haserodt of North Olmsted, Ohio
• Jodie Jonkman of Quito, Ecuador
• Elizabeth Mallory of Anniston, Alabama
• Cameron E. Murphy of Antalya, Turkey
• Kristen Pieper of Rochester Hills, Michigan

Congratulations to all of this year's winners! We are excited for what God will do in and through the lives of these young men and women. We are privileged to play a part, however small, in helping them reach their dreams and goals.

Fourth Annual Scholarship Competition

The Sonlight Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce the winners of the 2003 Sonlight Curriculum College Scholarship Competition. All eight winners will be awarded four-year college scholarships to fund their attendance at the colleges of their choice.

The number of applicants continues to grow each year. We received 26 applications this year compared to 20 last year. I know it doesn't look like much, but that's actually 30% growth!

We found that the majority of this year's winners had used higher-level Sonlight programs. Nearly all of them had used one or more of the high school-level programs. This is a change from past years. It's exciting for us to see more families willing to tackle these upper-level programs.

We were also excited to see how well the winners had scored on the SATs. Of the winners who took the SATs: two scored 1300 or higher; four scored in the 1400s; and one (Joshua Okerman) scored a 1520! More proof that homeschooled students have the skills it takes to succeed.

It was difficult (as always) for us to choose this year's winners.

$5000, 4-Year Scholarship ($20,000 total)

• Matthew P. Downer of Signal Mountain, Tennessee won this year's $5000 scholarship. Matthew, who plans to become a lawyer, will attend Harvard University this fall, where he plans to study Government. He feels very blessed to have such an opportunity and is grateful for Sonlight's financial assistance in pursuing his education. Throughout his time in high school, Matthew has sought out opportunities to lead and influence those around him. He feels called to be a witness and example throughout his life and believes that the relationships he will form at Harvard will be a perfect opportunity to live out that mission.

$2500, 4-Year Scholarship ($10,000 total)

• Joshua K. A. Okerman of Kita-ku Kobe-shi, Japan won one of this year's $2500 scholarships. Joshua has a strong interest in film. In fact, he spent two and a half years of his free time making a film entitled Takayama Ukon, A Warrior of Faith. Though he is unsure of where he will attend college, he is seriously considering both Wheaton College and Colorado Christian University.
• Sharon M. Havens of Pinckney, Michigan also won a $2500 scholarship. Sharon has a passion for science and children. Because of this, she feels strongly called to be a pediatrician. She expects that the education she receives at Hope College will move her closer to her goals and prepare her for her life's work.

$1000, 4-Year Scholarship ($4,000 total)

• Megan C. Simila of Juneau, Alaska plans to attend the University of Alaska Southeast to pursue a degree in education. She also plans to utilize the college's exchange program to broaden her cultural experiences. Megan says, "The more I broaden my background, the more people I'll be able to reach with God's love and truth."
• Karissa B. Clark of Yaounde, Cameroon has an active interest in journalism. The daughter of missionaries, she would like to carry on her own ministry by working with a Christian newspaper or magazine abroad. Karissa believes her immediate plan to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree at Multnomah Bible College will help prepare her for a career in journalism, or any other work that God calls her to.
• Peter D. Iceboat of Colorado Springs, Colorado intends to use his talents in design, art, math, and science to pursue a career in aerospace or aeronautical engineering. He hopes that the training he receives while attending Wheaton College will prepare him to be a positive Christian witness within what is currently a highly secularized field of work.
• Jarred S. Williams-Yaw of West Point, New York believes his attendance at the University of Alabama in Huntsville will help him lay a firm foundation for the achievement of both his personal goals and what he feels is God's will for his life. He plans to major in electrical engineering and minor in business, and hopes to one day become influential in politics.
• Curtis L. Censer of Mansfield, Connecticut is skilled in both mathematics and physics. He desires to utilize his skills in the field of engineering so he can design and produce products that will greatly benefit peoples' lives. Although he is unsure of where he will attend college, he has applied for admittance to five universities and one technical school.

Congratulations to all of this year's winners! We are excited for what God will do in and through the lives of these young men and women. We are privileged to play a part, however small, in helping them reach their dreams and goals.

Third Annual Scholarship Competition

We have given one $5,000 ($20,000 total), two $2,500 ($10,000 total, each), and five $1,000 ($4,000 total, each) annual four-year scholarships. We call these "annual" four-year scholarships only to indicate that winners of these awards will receive the scholarship for all four years of their college career, as long as they meet the requirements to maintain eligibility for the full four years.

$5000, 4-Year Scholarship ($20,000 total)

• Caleb Mayes of Blumenau, Brazil plans to attend LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, beginning in August. He has a true servant's heart and desires to one day help people in remote locations as a missionary pilot.

$2500, 4-Year Scholarship ($10,000 total)

• Katherine P. of San Marcos, Texas intends to begin her college studies this fall at Southwest Texas State University. She will remain living in her hometown so that she can work with her church's children's ministry and be mentored by the children's minister.
• Thomas Brown of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas intends to study the Bible, missions, and aviation at Moody Bible Institute. He desires to serve God as a missionary and a pilot.

$1000, 4-Year Scholarship ($4,000 total)

• Cassie Long of Spreckels, CA intends to study nursing at the University of Washington, Biola University, or Georgetown University. Cassie desires to one day provide "reasonable medical care and spiritual healing for children all over the world."
• Anna White of El Paso, TX is currently enrolled in the Junior Scholars Program at the University of Texas, but she plans on transferring to Montreat College or Covenant College this fall to study Elementary Education or Child Psychology. She has a desire to work with and teach children in the future.
• Anita Jonkman of Quito, Ecuador intends to study nursing and counseling at Trinity Western University in British Columbia or Mohawk College/McMaster University in Ontario. She knows the need for medical personnel in the missions field after traveling to villages in the mountains and jungles of Ecuador and hopes that God can use her to help with this need.
• Jessica Hammett of Quartz Hill, CA intends to study mathematics at Biola University or Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to pursue her desire of becoming a secondary mathematics teacher.
• Emily Kreidel of Boca Raton, FL completed a semester's worth of college credit at Palm Beach Community College and Florida Atlantic University. Emily hopes to attend fire academy this fall and begin paramedic training after she has completed fire academy. She desires to become a doctor and wants to work her way through medical school as a paramedic.

Congratulations to all of this year's winners! All of these outstanding scholars desire to serve God and yield to His leading as they move toward the next step in their academic pursuits. We are excited for what God can do through the lives of these young men and women, and anticipate great things from them. It is a privilege for us to play whatever small part we can in helping them fulfill their tremendous potential.

Second Annual Scholarship Competition

The $5,000 Scholarship has been awarded to:

• Mark Croushorn

The two $2,500 Scholarships have been awarded to:

• David Lindemann
• Lee Gates

The five $1,000 Scholarships have been awarded to:

• Joy Stewart
• Samantha Silver
• Daniel Silk
• Avery Wood
• Colleen Conwell

Congratulations to our award winners!

First Annual Scholarship Competition

The $5,000 Scholarship has been awarded to Erika Bassler