Eight high school seniors earn scholarships in a national web design competition

COLUMBUS, Ohio - June 29, 2015 - PRLog -- eSchoolView’s Investing in Our Future initiative sets eight high school graduates off on stronger footing with $15,000 in scholarships.

The Columbus, Ohio-based company that creates websites for schools and educational organizations has built a reputation of creating opportunities to help students develop 21st century skills.

“This year’s entries were very compelling,” Executive Director Rob O’Leary said. “Many of the students indicated they were self taught, which is tremendously impressive, but also underscores the need to encourage innovation in schools."

eSchoolVIew’s Web Design and Development Scholarship program requires students to create sample web pages. Entrants submitted a written essay, mock budget and evidence of a collaborative effort between the entrant and a pseudo client for a 3-page minimum website.

Alexander Peterson, the top award winner from North High School in Sioux City Community Schools (Iowa), earned a $5,000 scholarship for his design. Two students earned $2,500 scholarships and five were given $1,000 awards. All of the scholarships will be distributed directly to the schools each of the winners attend.

The other winners are:

-- Angel Serrano, $2,500; John C. Fremont High School, Los Angeles
-- Justin Tu Liu, $2,500; Oak Park High School, Oak Park, Ca.
-- Ulyses Osuna, $1,000, Grandview High School, Grandview, Wash.
-- Leah Sprague, $1,000; Forest Ridge High School of the Sacred Heart, Bellevue, Wash.
-- Sara Elizabeth Hiner, $1,000; Arapahoe High School, Centennial, Colo.
-- Trevor Waite, $1,000; Tri-West High School, Lizton, Ind.
-- Brandon Borders, $1,000; Sisters High School, Sisters, Ore.

The Web Design and Development Scholarship program is just one part of eSchoolView’s Investing in Our Future initiative. The company also awards scholarships to teachers for innovative initiatives in their classrooms, volunteers in schools, mentors interns and donates websites to school districts for ballot initiatives.

“We truly believe we have a responsibility to share our knowledge with the students and staff of the school districts we work with,” Executive Director Rob O’Leary said. “We are a service-minded company and want to pay forward to those who will be our leaders some day.”

Members of the eSchoolView team have also taught a coding class to eighth-graders at Hannah Ashton Middle School in Reynoldsburg, Ohio.

“We have a talented team with a lot of experience,” O’Leary said. “The connections we have made with the students we meet in class, apply for our scholarships or bring on as interns have been invaluable. It’s a great relationship because we learn a lot from them as well.”

eSchoolView — with satellite offices in Arizona and Charlotte, NC — is among the nation’s fastest growing companies. It is ranked in the top third at 1409 on Inc. Magazine’s current 500|5000 and has seen revenue increase by more than 300 percent in three years. The company was founded in 2008.