15th Annual Bemidji Area Friends of Concordia Language Villages' Essay Contest was huge success

The 15th Annual Bemidji Area Friends of Concordia Language Villages' Essay Contest was a huge success. Eleven one-week scholarships have been awarded to local fourth and fifth grade students. They were honored in awards ceremony at Skogfjorden, the Norwegian Language Village, on Sunday, March 11th. The ceremony was attended by over 75 people, including 10 of the 11 winners and their families, friends, donors, volunteers to the program, and staff of Concordia Language Villages.

The winning essay writers receiving scholarships for the summer of 2018 are:

• Kiley Adkins, – 4th grade, Central Elementary School, attending the Spanish Language Village

• Clara Beiber – 4th grade, Northern Elementary School, attending the German Language Village

• Taylor Hanks - 4th grade, Northern Elementary School, attending the French Language Village

• Mara Lee Hendricks - 4th grade, Solway Elementary School, attending the Norwegian Language Village

• Cash Knutson – 4th grade, Northern Elementary School, attending the Norwegian Language Village

• Dewayne Lewis – 4th grade, J.W. Smith Elementary School, attending the German Language Village

• Markus Midgarden – 5th grade, St. Philips Elementary School, attending the Swedish Language Village

• Gunnar Neft – 4th grade, Kelliher Elementary School, attending the French Language Village

• Anika Ohnstad – 4th grade, Northern Elementary School, attending the Norwegian Language Village

• Donny Robertson – 5th grade, J.W. Smith Elementary School, attending the French Language Village

• Jeremy Teiken – 4th grade, Northern Elementary School, attending the Korean Language Village

The funding for these scholarships came from a number of local sponsors, including the generous support of Paul Bunyan Communications, First National Bank Bemidji, Bemidji Noon Rotary Club, Super 8 Hotel, the North Country Snowmobile Club, Wayne Dondelinger, Naylor Heating and Refrigeration, Security Bank, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Bemidji, Cal and Pat Rice, an IBM match, and numerous individual donors.

Each of these students wrote an excellent 100-150 word essay on the topic "The ways that I could learn and grow from the study of the _______________ language at Concordia Language Villages". Some just want to learn the language and others want to experience the culture and food of a different country or the country of their ancestors. The annual essay contest solicits essays from many area schools as well as from home-schooled students.

The Bemidji Area Friends of Concordia Language Villages was formed in October of 2002 to build connections between Concordia Language Villages and the Bemidji community and surrounding region. Since then, the Friends have coordinated 15 essay contests awarding a total of 148 week-long scholarships for area students to attend a camp. The Friends also raised additional funds by hosting a Scholarship Benefit Dinner last October with an authentic Finnish banquet, and entertainment by a Finnish singing duo, Jeremias and Michaela Ijäs.