Club Z! Tutoring of Fayette County has announced the winners of the 2007 essay contest, a competition that was open to all 10th and 11th graders living in Fayette County.

Students were allowed to pick from three topics and were given a rubric to follow. This was the first year for the contest, and the locally owned Club Z! assembled a panel of accomplished writers, teachers, and editors to evaluate the essays and award the prize packages worth over $2,300 to winners. Each student was also automatically entered to win cash prizes from the Club Z! National Achievement Awards contest, with prizes valued at over $5,000.

The winning essay, “Choosing a Friend,” by Tyler Murphy Wright of Sandy Creek High School, addressed the characteristics one would regard as important in a friend. Wright was surprised with his award presentation during his English class with his teacher, Monica Dorner. As the winner, he will receive 20 hours of private SAT/ACT Preparation by a professional Club Z! tutor.

Dorner’s Sandy Creek High School class also produced the second place winner, Jaimie Little, who chose to write about how to choose a friend as well. Her essay earned her an award of 10 hours of private SAT/ACT instruction.

By sponsoring the winning students’ essays, Dorner was awarded the first place teacher’s prize of $250 to be used towards classroom supplies. She was given her award during a post-planning staff meeting at the end of May.

Club Z! congratulates not only the winners, but also all of those students who took the initiative to enter the contest, and the teachers who encouraged them. Each entrant received a certificate for discounts on tutoring courses, as well as a $25 gift certificate to Books-A-Million.

For more information please call Peggy Thomas, area director of Club Z! at 770-460-4208 ext. 487.