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RELEASE 3/27/03 CONTACT: Associated Colleges of Illinois Recognizes Current G.C. Student as Essay Contest WinnerGREENVILLE, Ill. - In an announcement made by the Associated Colleges of Illinois, Greenville College senior Nathan Holbert of Joplin, Mo., and Wichita, Kan., has been identified as one of four winners of ACI's 2003 Liberal Arts for Leadership Essay Contest. He received a $2,500 scholarship and was recognized on March 26 at the Union League Club of Chicago. The contest directed junior and senior education majors at ACI's 24 member institutions to write about leadership in classroom teaching and the role that a liberal arts education plays in developing leading teachers. Holbert, 21, majors in secondary chemistry education and theatre at Greenville College. His inspiration to enter the field of education came from observing his high school chemistry teacher who excited him about the study of chemistry. "I teach because I think everyone should have the opportunity to love learning" said Holbert in his winning essay. "My students will begin to seek knowledge and information because they love it - not because I make them, but because an education in the liberal arts has taught me to be a leader." The awards were funded by grants from the Foundation for Independent Higher Education's UPS/National Venture Fund, E.R. Moore Company, and the U.S. department of education. The competition began in conjunction with ACI's Teachers Lead, Leaders Teach program, a project which is aimed at reducing the teacher shortage in the state of Illinois. Professional writers judged the essays and identified the winners based on a variety of characteristics - the best illustration of the theme Teachers Lead, Leaders Teach; the most compelling case for positioning teachers as leaders in our society; the best illustration of the capacity of private liberal arts institutions in developing leading teachers; clarity of ideas; and the quality of writing. "The contest showcases how liberal arts education helps students tap into their native gifts and develop their capacities to teach and to lead in the classroom," said ACI and McKendree president James M. Dennis in a statement by ACI. "Our winning essayists express both real passion for teaching and true understanding of the role of teachers as role models." Greenville College is a four-year accredited Christian liberal arts school with more than 1,200 traditional undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree completion students. Founded in 1892 and affiliated with the Free Methodist Church, the college is located in Greenville, Ill., 45 miles east of St. Louis. www.greenville.edu
Last updated: April
1, 2003 |