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Honor
Your Heroes!
Virginia Student
Essay Scholarship

Virginians for Integrity in Government announces the annual My Political Hero Essay Contest for high school students. David Bailey, a 20-year veteran lobbyist and the Board of Virginians for Integrity in Government developed the contest to challenge and encourage our high school students to pay tribute to their living political heroes and heroines. The winner of the contest will receive a $1000 post-secondary scholarship. VIG will also present a $500 scholarship to two honorable mention essay winners. The essay will be printed in Capitol Connections Virginia Magazine, which is a project of the non-profit Virginians for Integrity in Government (VIG).
High School students are invited to write about their political hero—man or woman—and vie for the scholarship and the trip. The “heroes” can be elected officials, teachers, relatives, or any other citizens. They must be living Virginia residents. All entries are accepted at the Website. Winning entries will eventually be posted on the website, as well as in the hard copy magazine. The adult and school which encouraged the winning entry will be recognized as well.
VIG seeks to shed a more positive light on political figures and activists–the same light that is often reserved for scandal. Many political heroes and excellent public servants work in state legislatures, schools, churches, neighborhoods, and ordinary households. The My Political Hero essay contest provides an avenue in which to recognize living influential figures.
Click here to submit an essay.

  

My Political Hero Contest Rules
1. All materials submitted become the property of Virginians for Integrity in Government, Inc., and cannot be returned.

2. Entries must be original and previously unpublished.
3. This contest is open to residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia only. Entrants must be currently enrolled as high school students in Virginia public schools, Virginia private schools or Virginia home schools.
4. The “heroes” of the essays may be women or men. They must be Virginians—that is, they must have been born in Virginia, or currently reside in Virginia, or have given significant public service to the Commonwealth of Virginia. They must be living as of the date the essay is submitted.
5. Essays must be typed and submitted electronically or by mail to VIG Essays • 1001 East Broad Street • Suite 225 • Richmond, VA 23219. They must be no longer than 500 words in length. They must be clearly labeled with the entrant’s name, school, and home address.
6. All entries must be received by November 1, 2007.
7. Entries will be judged equally on the basis of merit by a selection committee that will look for: • Originality • Clear reasoning • Good writing
The decisions of the judges are final.
8. Virginians for Integrity in Government, Inc., has the right to edit and publish entries as the editors of Virginia Capitol Connections Quarterly Magazine deem fit both in print and on the Web.
9. The winner, and his or her parent or legal guardian, agree to the use of the winner’s name, photos, and entries in any form for publicity or trade purposes by Virginians for Integrity in Government, Inc., without additional compensation.
10. There are no substitutions of prizes offered.
11. Winner will be announced in a future issue of Capitol Connections Virginia Magazine.
12. The winner will be notified by mail and announced no later than December 15, 2007. The winner’s parent or legal guardian will be required to sign and return, within 14 days of receipt, an Affidavit of Eligibility, Publicity, Liability, Release, and a Capitol trip permission slip.
13. The first prize is $1,000 to be sent to one post-secondary school or college of the winner’s choice, upon his or her admission to that school. The first prize also includes an all-expenses paid one-day trip to Richmond, Va., from the winner’s hometown. An unspecified number of runners up will be selected from the entries. The winner and runners up will have their entries published in a forthcoming issue of Virginia Capitol Connections Quarterly Magazine, and/or posted on the VIGonline webpage.
14. There will be two $500 post-secondary scholarships awarded to honorable mention students.
15. Any local, state, or Federal taxes are the responsibility of the winner.