Past Winners
Get inspired by what past winners have done, but, remember to put your own unique spin on the story of U.S. rice. Make your video stand out and you could be featured here next year!
2021 Scholarship Winners
2021 Grand Prize Winner: Josefine Sedler
Josefine is from Oxnard, California, and plans to attend Thomas Aquinas College in her home state. To create her stop-motion animation video, she used a GoPro and a camera stand – made from PVC pipe bent with a heat gun – that she designed and constructed herself.
“When I was looking for a topic for my video, I knew I wanted to use art, and since it’s all about rice it just made sense to make pictures out of rice. I love the idea that rice is something that’s beneficial for people and wildlife at the same time. We’re kind of helping each other out in a way, so we both get what we need.”
2021 2nd Prize: Asjia Roberson
Asjia based her inspiring video on how U.S. rice is an integral part of her training routine as a vegan athlete. She has committed to the University of Southern California where she will play lacrosse this fall.
“I am proud to have gotten to learn more about U.S.-grown rice while making my video, and honored that it was shared at the USA Rice Outlook Conference.”
2020 Scholarship Winners
2020 Grand Prize Winner: Molly Ellis
Molly lives in McKinney, Texas, and will be attending the University of Texas in Arlington this fall. Her experience making videos comes from joining her high school’s audio/visual program.
“I love making and editing videos, and when I began seeking out scholarship competitions, I came across the National Rice Month Scholarship. When my mom told me the town she is from in Texas is all about rice, I knew I had found my topic. And now that I know rice is grown here in the U.S. and in Texas, I definitely look for “Grown in the USA” labels at the store.”
2020 2nd Prize: Simon Portillo Perez
Simon has been accepted at the University of California, Los Angeles.
“I am so grateful to be selected as one of the contest winners. My video, “The Little Things,” is a different take on the importance of rice in one person’s life.”
2019 Scholarship Winners
2019 Grand Prize Winner: Kyle Voong
Kyle is from Brandon, Mississippi, and attends the University of Southern California where he is majoring in neuroscience.
“I was by no means an expert on rice before my participation in the competition, but the NRM video contest gave me an opportunity to immerse myself in a new subject. I not only learned facts about rice, but I was also able to refine my skills in editing, research, and video production!”
2019 2nd Prize: Alexander Laigo
Alexander is enrolled in the Saint Louis University Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
“I am so grateful for this scholarship that will help relieve some of the burdens in the cost of my college tuition, especially in this pandemic situation.”
2018 Scholarship Winners
2018 Grand Prize Winner: Caroline Benoit
Caroline is from Louisiana and attends Tulane University in New Orleans.
“Traveling to the USA Rice Outlook Conference in San Diego was an amazing experience, and I am so grateful to have received the scholarship.”
2018 Second Prize Winner: Kristina Kuewa
Kristina plans to pursue a career in the film industry after majoring in media arts production at Emerson College in Boston.
“This scholarship has helped lighten the financial burden of college and will allow me to focus more on my academic goals.”
2017 Scholarship Winners
2017 Grand Prize Winner: Jared Fitton
Jared attends the University of California at Santa Barbara and is working on his degree in computer science.
“Participating in this scholarship helped me to not only pay for college but also to discover a whole industry that was right in my backyard!”
2017 2nd Place Winner: Olivia Davis
Olivia is majoring in elementary education at Louisiana Tech University.
“Winning this scholarship not only allowed me to pay for my first quarter of college, but it boosted my confidence level and my creative gift as I move forward.”
2016 Scholarship Winners
2016 Grand Prize Winner: Heaven McKinley
Heaven is studying environmental engineering at Colorado School of the Mines.
“Winning the National Rice Month scholarship was an incredibly unique and exciting experience and helped fund my first year of college.”
2016 2nd Place Winner: Angela Lee
Angela is from Los Angeles, California, and attends Cal Poly Pomona.
“By winning this scholarship, I was able to pay for my own tuition and lessen the burden on my family. It truly meant a lot that I am able to attend college.”