MISD Rising Seniors win Scholarships in Midland Young Leaders ContestJune 02, 2020

Courtesy of MISD press release

Two Midland High School rising seniors have been selected as the winners of the Midland Young Leaders Challenge (MYLC) Essay Contest.

The 2020 Midland Young Leaders Challenge, originally scheduled for June 17-18, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As an alternative, rising seniors (class of 2021) from MISD, Greenwood ISD, and private schools in Midland County were invited to participate in an essay-writing contest, with the topic Leadership in Today's World.

Connor Carringer took home first prize and a $1,000 scholarship for his essay "A 3D World without 3D Glasses." At Midland High School, Connor is the vice president of the student council and the captain of the varsity tennis team. He's also a member of the Stonegate Youth Student Leadership team. His hobbies include woodworking, skiing and playing guitar. After graduation, Connor hopes to attend Stanford, Vanderbilt, or the University of Michigan and study either mechanical or computer engineering.

"When I saw the topic for the essay, I immediately thought of the 3D idea," Carringer said of his winning essay. "If you take the glasses off at a 3D movie you see three distinct frames. Yet each one is essential to make the final picture. I kept referring back to that idea and comparing how my life fits in with leadership in today's world."

Faith Dolan's essay, "Using Leadership to Navigate a Silent World" earned second place and a $500 scholarship. Faith is a member of the MHS concert and marching bands, and is excited for her second year as a drum major. She has earned several band honors, including being named to All-Area twice. Faith is a member of the MHS tennis team and also active in her church's youth group. She plans to attend Texas Tech and study English and minor in sign language.

"I am beyond honored and ecstatic to win this scholarship!" Faith said. "Writing the essay gave me a new perspective of leadership, how to incorporate it into my life as a teen with severe hearing loss, and how I can use today’s lessons as I grow older and transition into my future career!"

Members of the General Tommy Franks Leadership Institute evaluated each essay, and final winners were selected by MISD Superintendent Orlando Riddick, Midland College President Steve Thomas, and Cathy Franks, General Franks' wife.

About MYLC

The Midland Young Leaders Challenge is a world-class leadership program open to an elite group of the top performing rising high school seniors in Midland County. The General Tommy Franks Leadership Institute, Midland College and Midland Independent School District collaborate to create this opportunity for our next generation of leaders.

The Young Leaders Challenge celebrates the legacy of Tommy Franks who grew up in Midland and became a military hero. Franks achieved the rank of a four-star general during his decorated Army career, which included many honors, including being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The dates for the 2021 Midland Young Leaders Challenge have been set for June 16 and 17.