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EHS Seniors Brett Van Damme, Easy Armstrong Win Journalism Scholarships

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From left, seniors Brett Van Damme, Easy Armstrong and Caydence hold up their certificates for placing in Lookout Eugene-Springfield’s Journalism Scholarship Challenge. Van Damme and Armstrong won $500 scholarships. (Photo by Falcon News)

Students in Michelle Nelson’s journalism class at Elmira High School recently competed in a Journalism Scholarship Challenge hosted by Lookout Eugene-Springfield.

Of the students from schools around Lane County who submitted their stories, seniors Brett Van Damme and Easy Armstrong were selected as two of three winners, each earning a $500 scholarship. Senior Caydence Farrar was selected as first runner-up.

Students had to write a profile story on an unsung hero from the community, including an interview with at least two different sources and photos.

The editing team for Lookout Eugene-Springfield reviewed every story, with the top three stories earning a $500 scholarship and being published in Lookout. The first two runner-ups also will be published on the website.

Van Damme wrote about Amy Hand, the family resource coordinator for the Fern Ridge School District. Armstrong wrote about longtime Veneta community volunteer Dennis Maricle, and Farrar wrote about Territorial Sports Program leader Alan Jeffers.

Van Damme expressed how he felt being able to bring attention to someone who was underappreciated.

“It definitely made me happy to have a platform to give a shout-out to someone who was underappreciated in the community and be able to not only have it published in the school paper but also a larger paper with more outreach,” Van Damme said.

Armstrong said he was honored to be selected as a winner and be able to make people aware of someone who is fairly unknown in the community.

“I felt honored to be chosen and I’m glad that something I wrote can be read by the larger public,” the senior said. “It felt really good. The guy who I wrote about has dedicated his entire life to helping people, and almost no one knows about him, so I hope that above all else the story can make him feel good and appreciated.”

Farrar said she was glad to bring a spotlight on someone who has spent so much time volunteering.

“I feel like it’s really good for people who devote so much time to finally get recognition, especially when they do it for so long,” Farrar said. “I’m very honored that I had the chance and the platform to share a story like that with the public.”

The profile stories written by the Elmira students have been published on Falcon News and will be published soon in Lookout Eugene-Springfield.