2nd Annual Utah High School Essay Contest Report

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On March 30, 2012, The Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF) held at the Orem Public Library, the Second Annual Utah High School Workshop and Essay Contest on the topic of the “Sustainable Energy for Mountain Communities”, in support of the United Nations initiative to declare 2012 as the “International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.” This event was co-sponsored by the Utah Valley University’s History & Political Science Department and the Aspen International Mountain Foundation (AIMF).

Event continued tradition, established already one year ago, when on March 7, 2011 Utah Valley University hosted the first workshop and essays contest for Utah high school students with focus of the research on gender issues. Event in 2011 was a successful one and it stimulated students of UVU to host this year a second workshop in order to both continue efforts on raising awareness among new generation of leaders in the state of Utah about agenda of sustainable mountain development and strengthen involvement of Utah communities in the activities of the global mountain communities as well.

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Audience at Orem Public Library during the workshop

At the beginning of the event, several VIP guests greeted organizers and participants of the gathering and reminded them about importance of the raising an awareness of the communities around the world, including students audiences in the importance of the initiative of the U.N. on Sustainable Energy for all, which was adopted through special Resolution by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2010. Among those dignitaries were Dr. Rusty Butler, Associate vice-President, International Affairs and Diplomacy, UVU, focal point for the Mountain Partnership at UVU, Rebecca Wallace, representative of the Aspen International Mountain Foundation, partner of UVU from Aspen, Colorado and also a member of the Mountain Partnership. Traditionally audience at the library was greeted by representatives of the City of Orem and Provo and Utah State Senator John Valentine.

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Greetings from Orem City to the organizers and participants of the workshop

The contest invited for competition about one hundred students from ten different schools of the state of Utah, including five High Schools, two Junior High Schools, two Preparatory schools, and even one student with home-schooling. While each student paper was focused on the main topic “Sustainable Energy for Mountain Communities,” submitted essays covered variety aspects of different types of alternative energy, including the costs of generating energy, the environmental impact of energy production and the impact which climate change has on mountain communities; some of the most exceptional essays include the use of the energy of sun, water, wind, hydrothermal sources, and even from the use of Thorium (a radioactive component).

A committee of UVU students thoroughly reviewed each essay and selected 10 finalists (Justin Ngo, Jacob Alder, Amber Klepacz, Jessica Simons, Elizabeth Draper, Madison Nixon, Madison Squire, Kaleb Hall, Kenzee Hargett, Lettie Berret). Each finalist was provided fifteen minutes for oral presentations on the content of their papers at the Storytelling wing of the Orem Public Library. Papers of these students were selected based on the quality of their research and data, and their focus on the most urgent aspects of the energy sustainability in the mountain areas.

Later on the same day, several judges of the workshop, including Dr. Snedegar, chair of the Organizing Committee, and Paola Rondon, assistant deputy chair, among others evaluated presentations of all 10 finalists and selected three winners of the contest.

On first-place prize and winner of $500 was Justin Ngo, from Copper Hills High School in West Jordan, Utah, for his essay “Wind Energy for Mountainous Regions.” Jacob Alder, of Olympus High School in Holladay, Utah, took second-place honors and earned $250 for his paper “Sustainable Energy Sources and Benefits of Thorium in Modern Society.” The third-place and $150 award went to Amber Klepacz, of Copper Hills High School, for her essay “Micro-Hydro Power.” In fourth – place Jessica Simons for her essay “On The Politics and Policies over Renewable Energy Sources in Mountain Communities,” and in fifth-place Elizabeth Draper for her essay “Solar Energy and Its Benefits.”

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Winners of the contest and organizers of the workshop

This was a very amazing event with an excellent and high quality of essays, which made it very difficult for the evaluators and the judges to choose the best works. Finally, it is important to recognize the splendid work done by volunteers, UIMF members, and Advisors, as well as the Ms. Bucaria, English teacher from Cooper Hills High School, who made this event as part of her syllabus for her students.

Jesler Molina, student UVU, deputy chair of the organizing committee of the workshop

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