May 21, 2008

Fifty-four Finalists will Serve as Ambassadors to State and Territorial Delegations in Contest
Organized by the DNCC, Post-News Educational Services and Qwest Communications

Jared Jolton

DENVER – Out of a sizeable pool of nearly 1,200 applicants, fifty-four middle and high school students from across Colorado were announced today as finalists in the “Write to Lead” youth essay contest. Finalists will serve as ambassadors to state and territorial delegations, while two Presidential Winners – one middle and one high school student – will attend the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Jared Jolton, an eighth-grade student at Colorado Academy in Denver, and Mari Tanabe, an eleventh-grade student at Manitou Springs High School, in Manitou Springs, Colo. were chosen as the Presidential Winners. Judges concluded that the themes in their essays, titled “In Front of the Pack” and “Restless for Change” respectively, best captured the spirit of this year’s historic election.

The names, hometowns and schools of all 54 student winners are listed below and online at www.DemConvention.com and will run in a full-page ad in the either the Denver Post or the Rocky Mountain News along with full text of the Presidential Winners’ essays. Each finalist will serve as an ambassador to one of the delegations to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. In that role, the students will correspond with their assigned delegations prior to the Convention via a “Postcards from Colorado” campaign, sharing key facts, favorite destinations and other tips in advance of delegates’ arrival in Denver.

The finalists were paired with a state or territorial delegation through a random lottery process and announced today at press conferences in Denver and Manitou Springs, Colo.

Mari Tanabe

“These two extraordinary young people represent hundreds of their peers – Colorado students who answered the call and made their voices heard on leadership and our nation’s future,” said Leah D. Daughtry, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC). “We were impressed and truly overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness these essays demonstrated. Our winners showed a real depth of understanding of the qualities that make a good leader – courage, compassion, vision, humility, inspiration. These writings should inspire confidence in all of us that the leaders of tomorrow are well suited for the job.”

“Post-News Educational Services was proud to have been a part of this important project and congratulates the two outstanding Presidential Winners and the 54 finalists chosen to represent Colorado,” said Tracy Ulmer, Director of Community Relations for the Denver Newspaper Agency. As a result of this essay contest, thousands of Colorado students were encouraged and inspired to think about their vision of the future. Our thanks go out to all the many students and teachers who participated, along with everyone at the DNCC, Qwest and the judging committee for their support on this project.”

“I applaud the efforts of all of the finalists’ creative essays, and am reminded that today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders,” said Teresa Taylor, Qwest Executive Vice President and Chief Administration Officer. “Qwest is proud to support such a valuable program; and as a leading business in Colorado, we look forward to watching these future leaders thrive.”

Organized by the DNCC, Post-News Educational Services and Qwest Communications, the contest provided a unique opportunity for Colorado youth to voice their thoughts on leadership and the future of our country and to engage in the 2008 Democratic National Convention experience.

The two Presidential Winners will attend opening night of this year’s historic Convention, receive a special tour of the Pepsi Center, and have an opportunity to attend the delegation breakfasts of the states to which they served as ambassadors in addition to other Convention activities. Each Presidential Winner will also receive a laptop computer to aid with future writing projects.

Essays were judged by a committee of local educators and representatives from the DNCC, Post-News Educational Services and Qwest Communications. From the pool of nearly 1,200 applicants, and the 250 essays reviewed in the second round of judging, the fifty-four finalists represent both public (78%) and private schools (22%). They also represent broad geographical diversity from across the state of Colorado:

• 63% from the Metro Denver Area
• 17% from Northwest Colorado
• 9% from South Central Colorado
• 7% from Eastern Colorado
• 4% from Southwest Colorado

The "Write to Lead" contest invited Colorado students in grades 6-11 to submit an original essay answering one of two questions in 300 to 500 words:

• Grades 6-8: What qualities make a great leader? How could one exhibit those traits in everyday life?
• Grades 9-11: Looking to the future, what do you see for our country? What qualities does a leader need to take our country forward?

In the last few months, Colorado Lieutenant Governor Barbara O’Brien served as an ambassador for the contest, visiting schools around the state and encouraging students to participate.

Winning Essays

Click the links below to read essays by the Presidential Winners.

• "In Front of the Pack," by Jared Jolton
• "Restless for Change," by Mari Tanabe 

Write to Lead Finalists

The 2008 Democratic National Convention will be held August 25-28, 2008 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo.