Coldwell Banker Celebrates “What Makes a House a Home” Scholarship Winners

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The winners of the 2015 "What Makes a House a Home" essay contest are, from left Julia Holder (3rd), Bella Hood (1st), and Aundrea Temple (2nd).
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By Kate Scriven

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The winners of the 2015 “What Makes a House a Home” essay contest are, from left Julia Holder (3rd), Bella Hood (1st), and Aundrea Temple (2nd).

When asked, “What Makes a House a Home” this spring, area teens responded in droves. This year marked the fifth year that Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty has held their scholarship contest for Thurston County high school students. And in 2015, the quality and quantity of essays was significantly higher.

Launched in April, the contest was open to all Thurston County high school students. The assignment was to craft an essay, in 500 words or less, describing what made a house a home. Essay topics ranged from physical features of a home to the amorphous feeling that creates the idea of home, no matter where you are. Despite the high caliber of the submissions, the panel of three independent judges had to pick just three winners.

Olympia High School‘s Bella Hood took the $1,000 first place prize this year with her essay entitled, “The Small White House with the Blue Door.” Bella, a sophomore at OHS, captured so vividly the idea that “a house is filled with meaningless objects while a home is filled with memories.” And it’s the memories that she describes in her essay, painting a picture of a life lived fully. She concludes with the powerful statement, “To me, it is the place where I learned to live. It is the place where I figured out who I am today. To you it is a house, to me it is my home.” Click here to read Bella’s essay in full.

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Olympia High School’s Bella Hood (pictured with her mother) wrote about her home as a collection of memories, each one precious.

The second place award, and $750 scholarship, went to Timberline High School senior Aundrea Temple. Her take on home centered on the idea of “soul,” specifically soul food and the smells and tastes that are unique to every family and ultimately spell home for her.   When she reflects on home, she thinks of the home cooking of her mother. She says home is “that overwhelming feeling of time and care it took to make the meal, and knowing my family is close by, that is home. That is where my soul is.” Click here to read Aundrea’s full essay.

The third place award of $500 went to Julia Holder, an Olympia High School junior, and Lakefair Princess. Her essay centered on the music that permeates her home. As the oldest of four children and daughter of a band director, music is central to the Holder household. And despite the chaos she admits often reigns, her house is made a home because of it. She says, “The continual music, the chaotic background noises, and the incessant sibling banter all soar and swirl together to create a symphony of sounds for the soul.” Click here to read Julia’s full essay

The contest is a highlight for the Coldwell Banker team who are dedicated year-round to supporting the community through their philanthropic programs. In fact, they are the only real estate company to receive the South Sound Partners for Philanthropy’s Business of the Year award.

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Olympia High School teacher Sarah Violette accepts the $500 Inspirational Educator Award grant from Norma Schuiteman of the Community Foundation in her classroom at Olympia High School.

The team at Coldwell Banker takes their role in supporting the community seriously. This contest, in particular, allows the group to connect directly with kids who are making our community strong and inspiring them for the future. “It’s fun to do community giving in such a way that it reassures us in what we do daily in selling our community,” shares Coldwell Banker owner Ken Anderson. “It’s uplifting to see the promise in our young people and to do something that is impactful to them.”

Local educators love the contest, too, and have shared how in an age of text messages and emoticons, this contest is about expressing feeling and communicating your point in writing, a valuable skill as students transition into the job market.

And, to express appreciation for the immensely impactful role educators have on students, Coldwell Banker added the Inspirational Educator Award to this year’s “What Makes a House a Home” essay contest. The winner, Bella Hood, was tasked with selecting an educator who had made a significant impact on her. The educator was set to receive a $500 grant and special recognition.

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Bella Hood chose her English teacher to receive the Inspirational Educator Award as part of her essay contest win. From left: Jamie Gibeau – Marketing Director with Coldwell Banker, Norma Schuiteman – President of the Community Foundation, Bella Hood, Sarah Violette, John Dodge – Contest Judge, Ken Anderson – President/Owner of Coldwell Banker.

Bella chose to honor her English teacher, Sarah Violette. The award was presented during Bella’s English class on Tuesday, June 2. Ken Anderson, Coldwell Banker Marketing Director Jamie Gibeau, Community Foundation President and CEO Norma Schuiteman, OHS Principal Matt Grant, and contest judge John Dodge all interrupted Ms. Violette’s class with the surprise announcement that she’d been selected by Bella for the honor. Bella shared about Ms. Violette, “Passion is never something she lacks and that passion rubs off on her students.”

Ms. Violette’s first words upon receiving the grant? “We are going to buy books! Lots of books!” Spoken like a true teacher, putting her students first and thinking of furthering their learning ahead of all else.

Ultimately, the Thurston County area is our home. It is home to the Realtors at Coldwell Banker, it’s home to you, our ThurstonTalk readers, and it’s home to the students and teachers involved in the “What Makes a House a Home” essay contest. Supporting our mutual “home” enriches us all and for Ken Anderson and his team, that’s what their job as Realtors is all about. “For us, it isn’t about selling a box with a roof,” he explains. “It’s about selling the way people want to live.”

And, when you read the words of these eloquent students you are reminded that indeed, this is a place we want to live.

 

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