Rules and Timing

The Mentors In Schools essay contest is open for middle and high school students to nominate an adult mentor, whether it is a teacher, coach, principal or librarian affiliated with their school, who has made a significant impact in their life. All students must nominate a person through writing an essay on how the mentor has helped shape them. The contest will ask students to answer the question, “How has this mentor made a positive impact in your life and what do you admire most about your mentor?”

The first place and runner-up mentors will be awarded a ZTE phone and a year of free service from MetroPCS and gift cards valued at $1000 and $500, respectively. Additionally, a free ZTE phone with six months of free service from MetroPCS along with gift cards valued at $200 and $50, respectively, will be given to the first place and runner-up student essay authors.

Nominations will be accepted beginning Friday, February 22, 2008 and will close Friday, March 21, 2008.

MetroPCS developed the Mentors In Schools initiative to recognize and reward mentors in the school systems that have helped champion local youths’ growth and development. The contest further exemplifies MPCS’ commitment to education by recognizing mentors who are the backbone of a local community.

The contest will be divided into two groups, students in grade six through eight will compete against each other and students in grades nine through 12 will compete against each other. There will be two students selected in grade six through eight, one first place winner (student author) and their mentor, and a runner-up (student author) and their mentor. In addition, there will also be two students selected in grade nine through 12, one first place winner (student author) and their mentor, and a runner-up (student author) and their mentor.

San Francisco/Bay Area
Alameda, contra Costa , Marin, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Monterey, Napa, or Solano counties

Atlanta Area
Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, Dekalb, Clayton, Henry, Rockdale, Newton, Walton, Barrow, Jackson, Clarke, Oconee, Hall, Forsyth, Dawson, Cherokee, Bartow, Douglas, Fayette, Coweta, Spalding, Carroll, or Paulding counties

Sacramento/Stockton Area
Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Merced, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo, or Yuba counties

Miami/Ft. Lauderdale/West Palm Beach Area
Broward, Dade, Monroe-Fla. Keys, Palm Beach, Lee, Collier or Treasure Coast counties

Detroit Area
Oakland, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, St. Clair, Washtenaw or Wayne counties

Dallas/Ft. Worth Area
Dallas, Denton, Collin, Grayson, Wise, Kaufman, Ellis, Johnson, Parker, Hood, or Tarrant counties

Tampa Area
Polk, Manatee, Sarasota, , Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, or Pinellas counties

  • Applicants are encouraged to visit http://www.act.org/metropcs and submit essay nominations. Students not able to submit online essays should send them to:
    Mentors in Schools
    P.O. Box 4030, Iowa City, Iowa 52243-4030.
  • The maximum word count of the essays must be 1000 words or less.
  • Nominations are to include name, address, school, school address, age, grade, email address and home phone number for the author of the nominations. Also required is the name, title and school of the mentor who is being nominated.
  • All submissions must be an original essay.
  • The deadline to submit nominations will be Friday, March 21, 2007.
  • Winners will be contacted and announced in mid-April.