Rules & Guidelines Essay Topic Please submit an essay answering the question:
As a young leader, how have you been a catalyst for positive change and contributed to inspiring your community? Essays should also include examples of your individual leadership or work with a community organization or group and how you plan to continue to be involved in community and civic affairs in the future. Supplemental materials including but not limited to media clips, photos, and videos will also be accepted.
Who is Eligible? Students of Hispanic descent currently enrolled in high school or college as a full-time undergraduate student (with a minimum GPA of 2.0) can participate in the Líderes de Hoy essay contest.
Who is Not Eligible? The following are not eligible for the Líderes de Hoy essay contest: (1) employees and agents of Allstate Insurance Company, National Council of La Raza and their respective parent, subsidiary, and affiliate companies, and their respective advertising and promotion agencies; (2) persons providing support services to any sales agent authorized to represent Allstate Insurance Company or its parent, subsidiary, or affiliate companies (whether those persons are employed by agent or not); (3) the “immediate family members” and/or “household members” of any of the persons set forth in (1) or (2) above. “Immediate family members” shall mean parents, step-parents, children, step-children, siblings or spouses. “Household members” shall mean people who share the same residence at least three months a year; (4) any person who won the contest the year previous to the current scholarship application year; (5) any person who has previously won will not be given preference.
Guidelines Submit two copies of the completed registration form signed by you and your guardian. Submit two copies of an original essay in English on the designated topic and any additional supporting materials including media clips, photos, videos, etc. Submit two copies of the release form signed by you and your guardian.
Submit a letter of recommendation from a community leader or mentor. Please provide two copies of the letter. Submit two copies of an official transcript. Any submission that does not meet the requirements or is received after 5 p.m. CT on Friday, July 28, 2006 will be disqualified.
Essay Requirements Entries must be in English, typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman or an equivalent font with numbered pages and with 1-inch margins. No identifying information (e.g., first and/or last name, initials, social security number) should appear on the first page of your essay.
Essays should contain a cover sheet with the essay title and the student’s name. Essays should be no longer than 1,000 words.
How Will the Essays be Judged? Winning essays will be chosen by an independent panel of judges. Each essay will be evaluated on the basis of the entrant’s commitment to his of her community, example(s) of exemplary leadership individually or within a group; and promise to continue involvement in community and civic affairs.
Twelve essays will be selected. Finalists will be notified via mail by Friday, August 25, 2006. The decisions of the judges are final.
Prizes There will be six high school winners and six college winners. For each category, one grand prize winner will receive a one-time payment of $10,000. The other five winners in each category will each receive a one-time payment of $5,000. Winners will receive a scholarship from Allstate for education expenses and will be invited to participate in the Líderes de Hoy awards ceremony in Washington, DC. Round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations will be provided for each finalist and one guardian/guest. All expenses not specified herein including, but not limited to, meals, taxes, gratuities, as well as ground transportation (from finalist’s home to airport closest to finalist’s home and back) are the sole responsibility of each finalist and his or her parent/legal guardian.
Mailing Instructions Submissions will be accepted through the U.S. mail. Send two copies of all required materials including the registration form, essay, official transcript, letter of recommendation in a sealed envelope and release form via mail to Líderes de Hoy essay contest, Attn: John Heiderscheidt, 2775 Sanders Road, Suite F3, Northbrook, IL 60065. All entry materials will become the property of Allstate and NCLR once submitted. They will not be returned. No responsibility is assumed for lost, late, incomplete, stolen, misdirected mail, or online entries; or for any computer or communications malfunctions, failures, connections, or availability; or garbled, corrupt, or jumbled transmissions; or service provider/ Internet/web site/use net accessibility, availability, or traffic congestion, or any technical error, or unauthorized human intervention; or the incorrect or inaccurate capture of entry or other information.
Deadline Your entry MUST be received no later than 5 p.m. CT on Friday, July 28, 2006. Recommended postmark date: Monday, July 24, 2006. Allstate reserves the right to amend or stop the contest without advance notice.
Thank you for your essay submission!