When Chase Hulderman received a $200 prize from the Amy Foundation for his essay, ‘Rescuing an American Hero from Obscurity: Why George Washington is Important Today,? it was the latest in a string of writing honors for the first-year Calvin student from Clarkston, Michigan.
The George Washington essay ran as a guest column in The Clarkston News on July 6, 2005 and was also highlighted in Pen & Sword, the newsletter of the Lansing-based Amy Foundation. The foundation sponsors several contests each year honoring writing that articulates a biblical position on world events.
Hulderman, who is planning to major in biochemistry, learned about the essay opportunity through his mentor, a press secretary in the Michigan House Republican Communications Office. The mentorship, which followed Hulderman’s internship in the communications office, guided him to a number of essay opportunities, all of which offered scholarship money and centered on themes of government.
Last year, an essay on George Washington won Hulderman a 2005 Washington Crossing Foundation Scholarship of $1,000. The award also included a tour of Independence Hall and other historic sites in Philadelphia for Hulderman, the sole Michigan recipient.
Another essay about the Supreme Court and the first Amendment landed Hulderman second place in a contest sponsored by the Camp American Foundation, whose aim is to educate students and adults about the U.S. Constitution and the Christian principles that played a part in the founding of this nation.
Chase is the son of Jeffrey and Valerie Hulderman of Clarkston.