Aspen, CO — Colorado Mountain College has extended the deadline to enter its 50th anniversary essay contest until April 1.
The contest, being conducted in conjunction with Colorado Mountain News Media, is for people living within CMC’s service area. The topic is “How diversity shapes our lives in western Colorado.” Winners will receive $500 scholarships to CMC and winning essays will be published in CMNM newspapers and on websites.
CMNM includes the Post Independent, The Aspen Times, Vail Daily, Summit Daily News, Steamboat Pilot & Today and Rifle Citizen Telegram. A scholarship will be awarded in each of those markets.
Essays must be no more than 600 words in length and will be judged on clarity of concept, depth and levels of meaning, impact and composition.
“In celebrating our 50th anniversary this year, Colorado Mountain College is looking back at what has made us so different from any other college,” Carrie Besnette Hauser, president and CEO of the college, said in announcing the contest.
“The 11 communities and people we serve have been diverse in many ways,” she said. “By bringing together ranchers, entrepreneurs, miners, hippies, educators and a range of different ethnicities, cultural backgrounds and ages in conversation and learning, we have profoundly and positively affected the vitality of Colorado’s Western Slope.
“In this essay contest we want to hear from people who also embrace the diversity and inclusivity of our communities.”
Entries are being accepted at http://cmcbecauseofyou.org/cmc-50th-essay-contest/. Further rules are on the website. The CMC service area is Pitkin, Garfield, Eagle, Summit, Lake, Jackson, Grand and Chaffee counties, and Routt County except for the southern part of Routt that is part of Colorado Northwestern Community College’s service area.