WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On May 1st, the United States Institute of Peace announced the state-level winners in the Institute's fourteenth annual National Peace Essay Contest. Open to American high school students in all of the 50 states, U.S. territories, and American high school students studying abroad, all state winners will receive a $1,000 college scholarship and will compete for national awards of up to $10,000.

More than 3,000 students from across the United States, including Puerto Rico and American high school students studying overseas, participated in this year's contest. Students this year examined in their essays how third parties can help bring peace to violent civil conflicts abroad.

As a state-level winner in the 2001 competition, all winners have been invited to represent their state in a special all-expenses paid program in Washington, D.C., June 23-28. Students will meet with senior U.S. government officials, members of Congress, foreign embassy officials, and other experts directly involved in making American foreign policy. They will also engage in a three-day simulation focusing on the impact of third parties in the current civil war in Sri Lanka. Students will assume the roles of government officials, NGOs, individuals, and governmental organizations to examine the ways third parties succeed or fail in bringing peace to a conflict. The goal of the exercise -- specially designed each year by the Institute's Education Program -- is for students to learn about the complexities of constructing a sustainable peace. At the end of the week, winners of the national first-, second-, and third-place scholarships of $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500 will be selected and honored at a special awards banquet.

"The National Peace Essay Contest introduces an emerging generation of leaders to the challenges as well as the excitement of shaping U.S. foreign policy," noted Institute President Dr. Richard H. Solomon. "These outstanding students will shape the future of our country, and I cannot think of a better public investment than ensuring that tomorrow's leaders are equipped with an understanding of the many competing factors involved in effectively preventing and managing international conflicts."

You can learn more about the other winners, and the unique learning adventure ahead for them in Washington, D.C. by visiting the United States Institute of Peace's website at www.usip.org. A special electronic press kit with additional information on this year's state winners and the Award Week will be available online at the Institute's website starting June 1.

The United States Institute of Peace is an independent organization created and funded by Congress to promote research, education, and training on the resolution of international conflicts. The National Peace Essay Contest is among one of the Institute's oldest continuing activities to promote civic education on international peace and conflict resolution.

2001 NPEC State Level Winners
Index by State

Alabama

Mr. Joshua Hershberger
Mountain View Baptist School
Birmingham, AL
Coordinator: Ms. Cathy Fortenberry

Alaska

Ms. Bonnie Loshbaugh
Skyview High School
Soldotna, AK
Coordinator: Ms. Linda Raemaeker

Arizona

Ms. Lispeth Nutt
North Canyon High School
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Coordinator: Ms. Suzanne Brayer

Arkansas

Mr. Brian D Weiss
Pulaski Academy
Little Rock, AR, USA
Coordinators: Ms. Ginger Kidd & Bill Topich

California

Mr. Joseph Richard Rose
Saratoga Federated Church
Saratoga, CA
Coordinator: Mr. Tim Galbher

Colorado

Mr. Travis Macy
Evergreen High School
Evergreen, CO, USA
Coordinator: Mr. Brian Conroy

Connecticut

Ms. Suzanne Hopcroft
Woodstock Academy
Woodstock, CT
Coordinator: Mr. Paul M. Cunningham

Delaware

Mr. Adam Figueira
Archmere Academy
Claymont, DE
Coordinator: Mr. John Buggein

Florida

Ms. Danielle Deans
Atlantic High School
Port Orange, FL
Coordinator: Ms. Shelley Wilkes

Georgia

Mr. Nicholas Edelstein
Dunwoody High School
Dunwoody, GA
Coordinator: Ms. Catherine Burroughs

Hawaii

Ms. Stephanie Hu
University of Hawaii Laboratory School
Honolulu, HI
Coordinator: Ms. Suzanne Acord

Idaho

Mr. John Henager
South Fremont High School
St. Anthony, ID
Coordinator: Ms. Margaret Oveson

Illinois

Mr. Matthew Thomas Diller
Normal Community High School
Normal, IL
Coordinator: Mr. Kelly J. Keogh

Indiana

Mr. Matthew Holbreich
North Central High School
Indianapolis, IN
Coordinator: Mr. William Broderick

Iowa

Ms. Nora Martin
Ames High School
Ames, IA
Coordinator: Ms. Linda Martens

Kansas

Ms. Laura Adams
Topeka High School
Topeka, KS
Coordinator: Ms. Mary Ann Stout

Kentucky

Mr. Scott Moore
du Pont Manual High School
Louisville, KY
Coordinator: Mr. Patrick Stevenson

Louisiana

Ms. Stephanie de Vay
Ben Franklin High School
New Orleans, LA
Coordinator: Ms Diane McCusker

Maine

Ms. Kasi Carson
Saint Dominic Regional High School
Lewiston, ME
Coordinator: Ms. Rosanne Ducey

Maryland

Ms. Ariana Berengaut
Walter Johnson High School
Bethesda, MD
Coordinator: Mr. Theisen Healey

Massachusetts

Ms. Ariela Marshall
Salem High School
Salem, MA
Coordinator: Ms. Patricia Hynes

Michigan

Mr. Matt Harsha-Strong
Novi High School
Novi, MI
Coordinator: Mr. Tom Brenner

Minnesota

Ms. Karlyn Beer
Elk River Area High School
Elk River, MN
Coordinator: Mr. Tom Fuller

Mississippi

Ms. Courtney Chance
Madison Central High School
Madison, MS
Coordinator: Ms. Susan Shivers

Missouri

Mr. Adam B. Hill
Nixa High School
Nixa, MO
Coordinator: Ms. Sheri Stanton-Goetz

Montana

Ms. Allison Jochim
Joplin-Invernes High School
Joplin, MT
Coordinator: Ms. Dana Travis

Nebraska

Ms. Bethany Scott
Duchesne Academy
Omaha, NE
Coordinator: Ms. Laura McKee Hickman

Nevada

Mr. Adam Blitstein
Durango High School
Las Vegas, NV
Coordinator: Ms. Debra Klosowski King

New Jersey

Ms. Carin Glaser
Kushner Yeshiva High School
Livingston, NJ
Coordinator: Mr. Dan Rosen

New Mexico

Mr. Milo M. Lin
Los Alamos High School
Los Alamos, NM
Coordinator: Ms. Nancy Schick

New York

Ms. Kimberly Salome Greenberg
Great Neck North High School
Great Neck, NY
Coordinator: Dr. Elaine Weiss

North Carolina

Ms. Amber Morehouse
Durham Academy
Durham, NC
Coordinator: Ms. Jennie H. Wallace

North Dakota

Ms. Andrea Rau
Minot High School
Minot, ND
Coordinator: Mr. Allan Alvstad

Ohio

Ms. Maiko Shiota
Hathaway Brown School
Shaker Heights, OH
Coordinator: Ms. Judith Nelson

Oklahoma

Ms. Brittany Howell
Cleveland High School
Cleveland, OK
Coordinator: Ms. Kathie Angelo

Oregon

Ms. Joy Ellison
West Hills Friends Meeting
Portland, OR
Coordinator: Ms. Noel Carey

Overseas Schools

Mr. Mohammad Fatayerji
Dhahran Academy High School
Al-Khobar, AE, Saudi Arabia
Coordinator: Ms. Kathleen Tighe

Pennsylvania

Ms. Emily Sowell
Huntington Area High School
Huntington, PA
Coordinator: Ms. Linda Reilly

Puerto Rico & U.S. Territories

Ms. Lilah Sabalones
Academia del Perpetuo Socorro
San Juan, PR, Puerto Rico
Coordinator: Ms. Linda Arroyo

Rhode Island

Mr. George Matook
La Salle Academy
Providence, RI
Coordinator: Mr. Edward Sirois

South Carolina

Ms. Lisa Kistler
Irmo High School
Columbia, SC, USA
Coordinator: Ms. Jan P. McCarthy

South Dakota

Mr. Austin Lammers
St. Thomas More High School
Rapid City, SD
Coordinator: Ms. Marian V. Reed

Tennessee

Yuan Tao
Martin Luther King Academic Magnet
Nashville, TN
Coordinator: Ms. Andrea Joy York

Texas

Mr. Chris Belcik
Sacred Heart Academy
Hallettsville, TX
Coordinator: Ms. Ida V. Bludau

Utah

Ms. Stefanie Nelson
Bountiful High School
Bountiful, UT
Coordinator: Ms. Julia Nelson

Vermont

Ms. Cory Simon-Nobes
Champlain Valley Union High School
Hinesburg, VT
Coordinator: Mr. William Mares

Virginia

Ms. Arielle Kuiper
Senior Girl Scout Troop 1759
Annandale, VA
Coordinator: Ms. Janet Wainwright

Washington

Ms. Rachel K. Gross
Capital High School
Olympia, WA
Coordinator: Mr. Kenneth L. Joling

West Virginia

Ms. Rebecca Kenna-Schenk
Preston High School
Kingwood, WV
Coordinator: Ms. Catherine Nutter

Wisconsin

Mr. Michael Nondahl
Wauwatosa West High School
Wauwatosa, WI, USA
Coordinator: Mr. Jeff Moreland

Wyoming

Ms. Cassidy Ann Croft
Worland High School
Worland, WY
Coordinator: Mr. Tim McGee

Note - When selecting the winning essay for each state, the state-level essay judging panels --qualified experts selected by the Institute each year -- often picks several essays for Honorable Mentions each year. These Honorable Mentions are meant to recognize the work of students who also wrote particularly strong essays that year. As Honorable Mentions are chosen at the discretion of the judging panel, the number of Honorable Mentions not only varies from year to year, but from state to state as Honorable Mentions are also always not always chosen for all states.

Alaska - Honorable Mention

Ms. Njideka Chukwu
West Valley High School
Fairbanks, AK
Coordinator: Mr. Steve Levey

Arizona - Honorable Mentions

Ms. Flannery Clark
Flagstaff Arts & Leadership Academy
Flagstaff, AZ
Coordinator: Ms. Penelope Wong

Ms. Katherine Kleindienst
Chaparral High School
Scottsdale, AZ
Coordinator: Mr. Michael Neer

Arkansas - Honorable Mentions

Mr. Michael Arrington
Pulaski Academy
Little Rock, AR
Coordinator: Ms. Ginger Kidd and Mr. Bill Topich

Mr. Chad Thomas Farneth
Pulaski Academy
Little Rock, AR
Coordinator: Ms. Ginger Kidd and Mr. Bill Topich

California - Honorable Mentions

Ms. Anna Bershteyn
Castilleja School
Palo Alto, CA
Coordinator: Ms. Peggy McKee

Ms. Kira Siam
Venice High School
Los Angeles, CA
Coordinator: Mr. John Brierley

Colorado - Honorable Mention

Ms. Andrea Adams
Gateway High School
Aurora, CO
Coordinator: Mr. Phil Gerkin

Connecticut - Honorable Mentions

Ms. Nadia Al-Khatib
Choate Rosemary Hall
Wallingford, CT
Coordinator: Mr. Zachary Goodyear

Mr. Jonathan Wakely
Woodstock Academy
Woodstock, CT
Coordinator: Mr. Paul M. Cunningham

Delaware - Honorable Mention

Ms. Elizabeth Redden
Camden Friends Meeting
Frederica, DE
Coordinator: Ms. Ruth Johnson

Georgia - Honorable Mention

Mr. Sutee Dee
Valdosta High School
Valdosta, GA
Coordinator: Ms. Narci J. Drossos

Hawaii - Honorable Mentions

Mr. Brent Monden
Hawaii Baptist Academy
Honolulu, HI
Coordinator: Ms. Diane Hom

Ms. Tanya Talbot
Hawaii Baptist Academy
Honolulu, HI
Coordinator: Ms. Diane Hom

Idaho - Honorable Mention

Mr. Trevor E. Jack
Eagle High School
Eagle, ID
Coordinator: Ms. Deneise Crace

Illinois - Honorable Mentions

Ms. Carrie Marie Bauer
Mendota High School
Mendota, IL
Coordinator: Mr. Matthew Gehm

Ms. Kara Emilie Coffey
Mundelein High School
Mundelein, IL
Coordinator: Mr. William Gorski

Indiana - Honorable Mention

Ms. Rosalynn Prough
Noblesville High School
Noblesville, IN
Coordinator: Mr. Bruce Hitchcock

Kentucky - Honorable Mentions

Ms. Elizabeth Berling
Notre Dame Academy
Park Hills, KY
Coordinator: Ms. Diana Timmerding

Ms. Caitlin Shaughnessy
Notre Dame Academy
Park Hills, KY
Coordinator: Ms. Diana Timmerding

Louisiana - Honorable Mention

Ms. Stephanie Reis
Neville High School
Monroe, LA
Coordinator: Ms. Valerie Batley

Maryland - Honorable Mention

Mr. Roberto Reyes-Gaskin
Walt Whitman High School
Bethesda, MD
Coordinator: Ms. Donna Tydings

Michigan - Honorable Mentions

Mr. Douglas Carmichael
Oscada Area High School
Oscoda, MI
Coordinator: Mr. William Fleming

Ms. Maureen O'Brien
Mercy High School
Farmington Hills, MI
Coordinator: Ms. Ann Lusch

Minnesota - Honorable Mentions

Mr. Christopher Lofgren
Elk River Area High School
Elk River, MN
Coordinator: Mr. Tom Fuller

Ms. Lauren Sivula
Elk River Area High School
Elk River, MN
Coordinator: Mr. Tom Fuller

Mississippi - Honorable Mentions

Mr. Matthew Persaud
Madison Central High School
Madison, MS
Coordinator: Ms. Susan Shivers

Mr. Matthew Ward
Madison Central High School
Madison, MS
Coordinator: Ms. Susan Shivers

Montana - Honorable Mentions

Ms. Sarah Haggart
CM Russell High School
Great Falls, MT
Coordinator: Mr. Charles Rossell

Mr. Kevin Swift
C.M. Russell High School
Great Falls, MT
Coordinator: Mr. Charles Rossell

Nebraska - Honorable Mention

Ms. Samia Khan
Duchesne Academy
Omaha, NE
Coordinator: Ms. Laura McKee Hickman

Nevada - Honorable Mention

Ms. Julia Catherine Falcone
Galena High School
Reno, NV
Coordinator: Ms. Mandy S. Campbell

New Jersey - Honorable Mentions

Mr. Kevin J. DeAnna
Cedar Grove High School
Cedar Grove, NJ
Coordinator: Mr. Joseph T. McBride

Mr. Robert Eberhard
Pope John XXIII High School
Sparta, NJ
Coordinator: Ms. Theresa Losiewicz

Ms. Erin Weinschenk
Sparta High School
Sparta, NJ
Coordinator: Mr. Barry Gibisser

New Mexico - Honorable Mention

Ms. Elizabeth Lynn Anderson
Armand Hammer United World College
Montezuma, NM
Coordinator: Dr. Lawrence Tharp

New York - Honorable Mentions

Mr. Vincent Chen
Hunter College High School
New York, NY
Coordinator: Mr. Irving Kagan

Ms. Elizabeth Wrigley-Field
Hunter College High School
New York, NY
Coordinator: Mr. Irving Kagan

North Carolina - Honorable Mentions

Ms. Emily Caldwell
Myers Park High School
Charlotte, NC
Coordinator: Ms. Linda Matthews

Mr. Jason Maxwell
William G. Enloe High School
Raleigh, NC
Coordinator: Ms. Vinetta Bell

North Dakota - Honorable Mention

Ms. Stefanie Tande
Minot High School
Minot, ND
Coordinator: Mr. Allan Alvstad

Ohio - Honorable Mentions

Ms. Elizabeth Keefe
Olentangy High School
Lewis Center, OH
Coordinator: Mr. Steven F. Youmans

Mr. Christopher Wilfong
Thomas Worthington High School
Worthington, OH
Coordinator: Mr. Mark Ellwood

Oklahoma - Honorable Mention

Mr. Kevin Rudick
Oologah High School
Oologah, OK
Coordinator: Ms. Cheryl Boyd

Oregon - Honorable Mentions

Mr. Michael Li
Oregon Episcopal School
Portland, OR
Coordinator: Ms. Hope B. Stevens

Mr. Michael Morrell
Willamette High School
Eugene, OR
Coordinator: Mr. Robert Saunders

Overseas Schools - Honorable Mentions

Ms. Mariam Katkhouda
Dhahran Academy High School
Al-Khobar, AE, Saudi Arabia
Coordinator: Ms. Kathleen Tighe

Mr. Eric Sepp
International School of Stavanger
Stavanger, AE, Norway
Coordinator: Mr. William Hovey

Pennsylvania - Honorable Mentions

Mr. John-Thomas Eltringham
Northwestern Lehigh High School
New Tripoli, PA
Coordinator: Ms. Jenne Harlin

Mr. Sameer Sol
Bishop McCort High School
Johnstown, PA
Coordinator: Ms. Patti Gridley

Puerto Rico U.S. Territories - Honorable Mentions

Ms. Sylvia T Vaquer Arroyo
Academia del Perpetuo Socorro
San Juan, PR, Puerto Rico
Coordinator: Ms. Linda Arroyo

Mr. Andres Velez
Academia del Perpetuo Socorro
San Juan, PR, Puerto Rico
Coordinator: Ms. Linda Arroyo

Rhode Island - Honorable Mention

Ms. Stephanie Maloney
La Salle Academy
Providence, RI
Coordinator: Mr. Edward Sirois

South Carolina - Honorable Mentions

Ms. Jessica Pothering
Academic Magnet High School
N. Charleston, SC
Coordinator: Dr. Ruth Bures

Ms. Melinda K. Schmidt
South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities
Greenville, SC
Coordinator: Ms. Julie Allen

Tennessee - Honorable Mentions

Ms. Linnea Duvall
Girls Prepatory School
Chattanooga, TN
Coordinator: Ms. Catherine Barker

Ms. Carla Hickman
Ooltewah High School
Ooltewah, TN
Coordinator: Ms. Martha McCarley

Texas - Honorable Mention

Ms. Zahra Ali
Hightower High School
Mo. City, TX
Coordinator: Ms. Sue Tull

Utah - Honorable Mention

Mr. Tyler Hawkes
Layton High School
Layton, UT
Coordinator: Ms. Lark Woodbury

Vermont - Honorable Mentions

Ms. Elizabeth Bloomhardt
Champlain Valley Union High School
Hinesburg, VT
Coordinator: Mr. William Mares

Mr. Jesse Mesner-Hage
Montpelier High School
Montpelier, VT
Coordinator: Mr. John A. Goodrich

Virginia- Honorable Mentions

Mr. Jeremiah Hendren
Eastern Mennonite High School
Harrisonburg, VA
Coordinator: Mr. Elwood E. Yoder

Ms. Angela J. Lederach
Eastern Mennonite High School
Harrisonburg, VA
Coordinator: Mr. Elwood E. Yoder

Washington - Honorable Mentions

Ms. Emily Chu
Mariner High School
Everett, WA
Coordinator: Mr. Rob Storrs

Ms. Camille Jackson
Snohomish High School
Snohomish, WA
Coordinator: Ms. Lisa Stettler

West Virginia - Honorable Mentions

Ms. Deborah James
Preston High School
Kingwood, WV
Coordinator: Ms. Catherine Nutter

Ms. Elizabeth Catherine Shelling
Charleston Catholic High School
Charleston, WV
Coordinator: Ms. Bridget Riggs

Wisconsin - Honorable Mentions

Ms. Deborah Kanning
Wauwatosa West High School
Wauwatosa, WI
Coordinator: Mr. Jeff Moreland

Mr. Sam Worley-Ekstrom
Lincoln High School
Manitowoc, WI
Coordinator: Mr. Gary Bents