Chrysler LLC Announces Scholarship Winners for Telling Their Story of Metro Detroit

-- 16 students from 10 schools were selected as winners; total awards to equal $29,000 -- Finalist students chosen from approximately 400 essay contest submissions -- All winning essays are posted at www.myjourneythroughtheD.com and readers are invited to comment on each winning essay's content

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 4 -- Chrysler LLC recently announced winners of the "My Journey Through the D" essay contest for high school, undergraduate and graduate students. Winning students shared a personal account or defining moment that underscores Detroit's impact on their life. There were 16 students chosen for the essay scholarships and the sum of all awards will total $29,000.

"Chrysler LLC supports education because it is vital to our state, and our industry's future," said Leven Weiss, Senior Manager -- Civic & Community Relations, Chrysler LLC. "This was a great opportunity for Chrysler to provide scholarship awards for higher education to students in our community, and to see the impact our region has on our youth."

Chrysler has a long history of commitment to southeast Michigan; the Company wanted to take a look at the city's future by obtaining feedback from the youth of today. Students had the opportunity to put their creativity, objectivity and originality to use by providing a first-hand account of their experience living in metro Detroit. As an added incentive, essays were judged by select academic and community group leaders, as well as print and broadcast partners, with the chance for students to get their work in front of potential employers.

Students created their own headline and presented reasons to support what and how they feel about Detroit and the surrounding southeast Michigan area. Essays were between 500 and 750 words and written from the author's personal point of view. The contest started April 1, 2008, and ended May 1, 2008.

Of the nearly 400 applications submitted, there were three contest winners and two honorable mentions selected in the high school, undergraduate categories and three contest winners and three honorable mentions selected in the graduate student category for a total of 16 winners. The scholarship awards will range from $500 to $5,000 and the sum of all scholarship awards totals $29,000.

All winning essays are posted on Chrysler's "My Journey Through the D" Web site -- www.myjourneythroughtheD.com -- and readers are invited to comment on each winning essay's content.

The first place high school category winner is Theodore Dasher of Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; the first place undergraduate student category winner is Briana Williams of Marygrove College in Detroit; and the graduate student winner is Sayan Bhattacharyya, who currently attends the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich.

In addition, scholarship recipients will be honored at a reception this summer at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum.

The following students from their respective schools have been announced as winners:

  High School Student Recipients
  First place: Theodore Dasher, Cranbrook Schools, Bloomfield Hills
  Second place: Ashley Thornton, Renaissance High School, Detroit
  Third place: Matthew Gallick, Andover High School, Bloomfield Hills
  Honorable Mention: Bianca Wasson, Mercy High School, Farmington Hills
  Honorable Mention: Julia Sosin, Berkley High School, Berkley

  Undergraduate Student Recipients
  First place: Briana Williams, Marygrove College, Detroit
  Second place: Lauren Sackey, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit
  Third place: Anita Miko, Wayne State University, Detroit
  Honorable Mention: Stephanie Spencer Smith, University of Michigan,
                     Ann Arbor
  Honorable Mention: Chibuzor N. Isiogu, Michigan State, Lansing

  Graduate Student Recipients
  First place: Sayan Bhattacharyya, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  Second place: Chris Gerben, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  Third place: Stephanie Pilat, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  Honorable Mention: Amanda Kuechle, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit
  Honorable Mention: Stephanie Hitztaler, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  Honorable Mention: Jennifer Epley, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor