A Tribute to Family :: The Family Day Essay Contest
	A Tribute to Family honors the outstanding and significant contributions family members make in the lives of Illinois College students in preparing them for college and supporting them while they are here on campus. The essay contest provides students with an opportunity to recognize parents, step-parents, guardians or other family members whose presence, endeavors, dedication and care have contributed to his or her personal development and academic success. Illinois College students are invited to submit an essay about a family member describing how this person has helped him or her to become who they are today – a successful and active college student. For example, students may share a particular story that illustrates how their parents taught them to act with integrity or how a family member demonstrated how one should be involved in their community.

	Recognition and Prizes
	A selection committee will review all submitted essays. All family members named in an essay will receive a congratulatory letter and a copy of the essay submission. Recognition of the winning essays and award recipients will occur during the Family Day Dinner with the President and First Lady from 5 to 6:30 p.m. the evening of Saturday, September 29, 2012.  The Family Day Essay Contest winner and honorable mentions will each be presented with a framed certificate. Student prizes will consist of $300 to be awarded to the winning essayist and $100 each for two honorable mention essayists. The winning student’s essay will also be highlighted in news releases and other publications.

	Essay Submission Instructions
	Please identify and illustrate how a family member contributed to your personal development and academic success and how you plan to employ these contributions during your time at Illinois College. The essay must be written and submitted by a current Illinois College student and be no more than 500 words in length.   Essays will be judged and the award recipient selected using the following criteria: Thoughtful reflection and articulation of the essay Substance of the contribution of the family member Technical correctness and grammar In your electronic submission, please create a cover page that includes the following: IC student information (name, class year, phone number and email) Family member information (name, mailing address, phone number, email and relationship to student) Essays must be submitted electronically to Karen Homolka, assistant dean of students, at khomolk@ic.edu no later than 12 noon on Monday, September 17, 2012. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Center for Student Involvement at 217.245.3094.