William Chang, grade 12, has won an $800 award for an essay contest. Chang was a district finalist in the Elks Most Valuable Student Contest following his performance in the recent state judging.

Reached for comment, Chang, who currently studies advanced journalism and English composition, said he found out about the competition during one of his class meetings. ” I was still in the college application mindset, so I decided to apply for the scholarship as well. I basically wrote about my general interests, extra-curriculars, and community service and leadership roles, and my reasons for pursuing them. It was very much  the typical introspective college application essay. It was my first scholarship award and I was really happy to have received it,” he recalled.

The contest was sponsored by The Elk’s National Foundation, a charitable organization which awards 500 four-year scholarships to the highest-rated applicants in the competition. Applicants must advance through local, district and state competitions to reach national judging level.