On March 22, Matthew Strahlman received the Junior Common Reader Scholarship for the Frederick County National English Honor Society.

Kirsten Snyder is the senior Tuscarora winner.

Each receives $250 dollars from an FCPS Gifts for Education Grant awarded to the Linganore High School NEHS in order to start the annual local scholarship.  Mrs. Natalie Rebetsky wrote the grant with NEHS President Emily Reed.  They hoped the local scholarship would attract more students to participate in the national contest.

Everything I Never Told You and The Samurai’s Garden were the novels for this year’s Common Reader essay.  Students had seven prompts to choose from.

There were 25 entries for the local scholarship. The finalists received a letter of congratulations and a certificate. All participants received a letter to thank them for writing the essay.

“I think what set my essay apart from everyone else’s was what I wrote about and how I wrote around the prompt I chose. Also I think that my analysis of the book was pretty unique,” Matthew Strahlman said.

The scholarship was supported by the Frederick County Literacy Chapter.  In January, students had the option of attending two book talks at The Curious Iguana in Frederick.

Brittney Garst, Social Media Coordinator Frederick County Literacy Chapter, attended one of the Curious Iguana book talks and helped to read the submitted essays.  “They were all very good essays. It was a lot of fun.”

The senior finalists are Emily Wolfe, Alexander Tran (THS), Rachel Morin, Savannah Silter and Emily Reed. Catherine Amereihn is the junior finalist.

Matt’s parents, Scott and Teresa Strahlman were invited to see the informal award ceremony.

“He’s a great student and kid, and we are very proud of him,” said Scott Strahlman, Matthew’s father.