AARP Eye Center
AARP South Dakota is excited to congratulate our 2017 South Dakota Grandparent Essay Award Winner, Emma Vandenbark, a 5 th grader from the Colome Consolidated School District. Emma was recognized at the South Dakota Retired School Personnel (SDRSP) Convention in Deadwood, SD on Wednesday, May 3.
Emma’s winning essay was written about her grandmother, Trena Vandenbark, and the way she inspires those around her to be the best versions of themselves. “[Grandma Trena] teaches me that being unique is wonderful and special,” Emma writes. “She says… you can always find a solution to your problem.”
Since 2003, AARP South Dakota and the SDRSP have co-sponsored an annual Grandparent essay to encourage 5 th graders across our state to celebrate the important role their grandparents play in their lives. This contest also helps to draw attention to the more than 8,000 children in South Dakota who live in grandparent-headed households.
AARP South Dakota and the SD Retired School Personnel would like to thank all of the 5 th graders who submitted an essay and all of the amazing grandparents who inspired them. More information about this annual contest can be found at www.sdrsp.org/grandparent-essay.