In 2004 and 2005, we sponsored an "Is America #One?" essay contest in which the Grand Prize included a trip to Hong Kong. The contest was co-sponsored by The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York and Cold Stone Creamery.

The 2004 winner was Haywood Glenn Clayton from Bob Jones High School in Madison, AL. He was awarded the top prize for his essay entitled "A Critical Analysis of Is America #1?"  Mr. Clayton won a trip to Hong Kong for himself, his teacher and two relatives. In 2005, we selected (3) Grand Prize winners. They were Caitlin Pennell from North Garland High School in Garland, Texas (read essay), Pearl Horng from Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, MD (read essay), and Sunanna Chand from Wheaton Warrenville South High School in Wheaton, IL (read essay).

Here is the media coverage for the 2004 contest: An Adventure Abroad - an article written by Mr. Clayton for his hometown newspaper recounting his Hong Kong experience.

Here are the 2004 runners-up: (National Honorable Mention)The following students each won $250 for their essays: Michael Hung, West Anchorage High School, Anchorage, AK, Brandon Gipper, Mattawan High School, Mattawan, MI, Laura Engel, North St. Paul High School, North St. Paul, MN. (Best in State) Each of the following students won Hong Kong travel items and a $25 Cold Stone Creamery gift certificate: Marlon Gonzalez, Trevor G. Brown High School, Phoenix, AZ; Shauna Di Bari, Presentation High School, San Jose, CA; Christine Dierickx, Thomas McKean High School, Wilmington, DE; Aubrey Jackson, William R. Boone High School, Orlando, FL; Anthony Gonzalez, Lake Zurich High School, Lake Zurich, IL; Ruth Eichinger, Bremen High School, Bremen, IN; Ruth Speas, Mt. Carmel High School, Vancleve, KY; Joseph Knackstedt, Rockhurst High School, Kansas City, MO; Kacey Musick, Biloxi High School, Biloxi MS; Nick Venetz, Charles Marion Russell High School, Great Falls, MT; Morgan Farquhar, Elm Creek High School, Elm Creek, NE; Tianyi Li, North Arlington High School, North Arlington, NJ; Elaine Wong, Great Neck South High School, Great Neck, NY; David Sirey, Brecksville Broadview Heights High School, Broadview Heights, OH; Tiffany Farrar, Norman High School, Norman, OK; Adam Kanonczyk, Cathedral Prep High School, Erie, PA; Charles Powell, Episcopal School of Dallas, Dallas, TX; Wyatt T. McMahon, Colter High School/Wyoming Boys School, Worland, WY. (State Honorable Mention) Each of the following students won a t-shirt: Anson Williams-Reeder, West Anchorage High School, West Anchorage, AK; Timothy Nolan, Ironwood High School, Glendale, AZ; John Laskoski, Foothill Technology High School, Ventura, CA; Kristopher Leon, Thomas McKean High School, Wilmington, DE; Patric De Jong, Palm Beach Gardens High School, Palm Beach Gardens, FL; Scott Seidman, Glenbrook South High School, Glenview, IL; Rachel Suttor, Bremen High School, Bremen, IN; Britta Gadient, Goodhue Public School, Goodhue, MN; Brian Eller, Rockhurst High School, Rockhurst, MO; Keara Dotson, Biloxi High School, Biloxi, MS; Asa Farquhar, Elm Creek High School, Elm Creek, NE; Shirin Soufian, Great Neck South High School, Great Neck, NY; Steph Yang, Brecksville Broadview Heights High School, Broadview Heights, OH; Hannah R. Lapo, Metro Christian Academy, Tulsa, OK; Pat Kloecker, Cathedral Prep High School, Erie, PA; Andrew Gardner, Episcopal School of Dallas, Dallas, TX.

Here are the 2005 runners-up: (Best in State) Each of the following students won $100, a fleece, Hong Kong travel items, and a $25 Cold Stone Creamery gift certificate: Adam Cambier, Blue Valley North High School, Overland Park, KS; Christopher Bertoldi, Bob Jones High School, Madison, AL; Allen Zuniga Luna, Catawba Valley High School, Conover, NC; Ryan Williams, Mauldin High School, Mauldin, SC; Lacey McCarty, Arlington Public High School, Arlington, NE; Sarah Ditson, Project Stay, Milwaukee, WI; Ashley Hook, Selinsgrove Area High School, Selinsgrove, PA; Brian Scott, Hannibal High School, Hannibal, MO; Tyler Jordon, Bearden High School, Knoxville, TN; Eugenie Robichaux, Saint Joseph Academy, Baton Rouge, LA; Korin Reid, Carmel High School, Carmel, IN, David Nolan, Des Moines Central Academy, Des Moines, IA; Christian Freire, Academy of Information Technology, Stamford, CT; Meghan Lauren Grover, Cactus Shadows High School, Cave Creek, AZ; Kayla Ann Johnson, Weston-McEwen High School, Athena, OR; Kevin Vogelsang, Lexington Catholic High School, Versailles, KY; Spencer Kline, Monarch High School, Louisville, CO, Justin Burtz, Sierra Vista High School, Las Vegas, NV; Matt Porter, Cocoa Beach Junior Senior High School, Cocoa Beach, FL; Frances Yaramishyn, Campbell High School, Smyrna, GA; Camille Ferrer, Saint Genevieve High School, Panorama City, CA; Sharmin Begum, John Adams High School, Ozone Park, NY, Kristen Shake, West Anchorage High School, Anchorage, AK; Krista Dornbusch, Traverse City Central High School, Traverse, MI; Nicco Benedetti-Fang, Leonia High School, Leonia, NJ; Avery Neilson, American Heritage Academy, Burley, ID, Ryan Kam, Le Jardin Academy, Kailua, HI; Carolina Page, Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School, Broadview Heights, OH; Kristin Schouweiler, Wabasha-Kellogg High School District No. 811, Wabasha, MN. (State Honorable Mention) Each of the following students won $50, a t-shirt, and a $15 gift certificate to Cold Stone Creamery: Dung La, North Garland High School, Garland, TX; Dylan DeFronzo, Mauldin High School, Mauldin, SC; Jonathon Rector, Arlington Public High School, Arlington, NE; Krista Jorgenson, Wabasha-Kellogg High School District No. 811, Wabasha, MN; Jessica Ports, Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School, Broadview Heights, OH; Brandi Wilson, Le Jardin Academy, Kailua, HI; Austin Stocker, American Heritage Academy, Burley, ID; Diane Healy, Wheaton Warrenville South High School, Wheaton, IL; Michael Schwartz, Leonia High School, Leonia, NJ; Brittany Linkeheimer, Solebury School, New Hope, PA, So Young Park, Traverse City Central High School, Traverse, MI; Kayla Thomas, El Dorado High School, El Dorado, KS; Lucinda Azede, West Anchorage High School, Anchorage, AK; Anderline Fequiere, John Adams High School, Ozone Park, NY; Stephanie Lagria, Saint Genevieve High School, Panorama City, CA; Amber Phan, Campbell High School , Smyrna, GA; John Silberholz, Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, MD; Matthew Roark, Woodford County High School, Versailles, KY; Micah Walters, Home School, Buck Creek, IN; Brittnie Durham, Moffat County High School, Craig, CO; Darcy Thompson, Weston-McEwen High School, Weston, OR; Virginia Jackson, Cactus Shadows High School, Cave Creek, AZ; Emanual Olaguival, Academy of Information Technology, Stamford, CT; Allison Winney, John F. Kennedy High School, Cedar Rapids, IA; Julia Gilcher, Charlotte High School, Punta Gorda, FL