TL/DR –
Clarice Nguyen, a freshman at Arizona State University, won second place in a national writing contest for her essay about her grandmother’s journey with dementia. Nguyen’s essay, which won her a $2,500 college scholarship, was selected from among 1,500 submissions to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s annual competition. The essay detailed Nguyen’s experiences with her grandmother and her grandmother’s friend, both suffering from a dementia-related illness, and her efforts to bring joy into their lives.
Gilbert Teen’s Dementia Essay Wins National Recognition
An essay penned by Gilbert teenager Clarice Nguyen, detailing her grandmother’s dementia journey, has earned second place in a national writing competition.
Nguyen’s submission was selected from a pool of 1,500 entries in the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s annual essay contest, earning her a $2,500 college scholarship.
The Arizona State University freshman’s essay focused on the dementia-related illness impacting her grandmother, Phuong, and Phuong’s friend, Anh Hu. The women were childhood friends in Vietnam and reconnected in America in the 90s.
Clarice’s essay shared her personal experiences with the two women and her endeavors to bring joy into their lives amid their health challenges. She wrote, “Every week I still ask her what my name is – sometimes she remembers, but more often than not she gets a majority of it correct. I am overjoyed.”
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America contest invites high school seniors across the US to share personal experiences on how Alzheimer’s disease has touched their lives, distributing around $70,000 in scholarships annually.
“Clarice’s inspirational essay about dementia’s impact on her and her family exemplifies how dementia-related illnesses affect people of all ages,” said AFA President and CEO Charles J. Fuschillo Jr.
Read More US News; Arizona News