Media Release
August 23, 2006
Youth Committee, Germans from Russia Heritage Society, Bismarck, ND

Local Student Wins International Award

Esther Rummel, Mandan, ND, won 1st place in the Middle School division of the International Germans from Russia Heritage Society (GRHS) Essay Contest. Her awards were presented at the 36th annual GRHS Convention, held in July in Portland OR.

First place in the High School division went to Ivelina Kancheva, of Varna, Bulgaria with Briana Magrum, Hazelton, ND receiving the runner-up award. Sara-Jayne Johnson, Surrey, BC, Canada and Martina Wolf of Grand Forks, ND received runner-up awards in the University Undergraduate division. Merissa Bertsch, Piedmont SD, won the $250 High School Scholarship and Ryan Hoff from Gilbert, AZ took home the $750 University Undergraduate Scholarship.

This year’s theme of the GRHS “Pride in Your Heritage” Youth Essay Contest was “Germany, Russia Americas…Giant Steppes toward Freedom”. Middle school, high school, and university contest entries came from ND, AZ, SD, WA, OR, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Canada.

The GRHS sponsors a yearly essay contest for students, which is open to all students in public, private, parochial or home schools and accredited universities. The subject must be the contestant’s original work and related to the German Russian history, heritage and culture; however, the student does not need to be of German Russian heritage to enter the contest.

The GRHS Youth Program promotes the study and research of the history of the German Russians, encouraging youth of all ethnic groups to become more interested in and aware of their cultural and ethnic origins. For further information about the 2007 Pride in Your Heritage Youth Essay Contest please contact the GRHS Youth Committee Chair, 4212 Canyon Lake Drive, Rapid City SD 57702 or visit www.grhs.com and go to the Youth Program page.

News release submitted by Vera Hoff, GRHS Youth Committee Chair.
Phone #: 605-718-4116 Email address: verahoff@rushmore.com