2013 AHP Student Award Contest
Student Award Links
- 2013 Guidelines
- 2013 Application (Word) (PDF)
AHP Selects Three Students as 2013 Travel Award Winners
Three talented students pursuing a career in equine publishing have earned the opportunity of a lifetime as AHP Travel Award Winners. The AHP Student Award Contest provides up to three $750 travel awards to attend the 2013 AHP Meet at the Peak Seminar in Colorado Springs, Colorado on June 20-22, 2013. The students will have a chance to meet leading equine publishing professionals and discuss career possibilities during the three days of educational sessions and related activities.
American Horse Publications is pleased to announce the three Student Travel Award winners for 2013.
Lisa Kucharski, 21, is a senior at Truman State University in Missouri, where she majors in Public Communications with a minor in Equine Studies. At age eight, Lisa got a spunky little POA named Rusty, who repeatedly bucked her off. Patience and persistence eventually led to two versatility titles at the 4-H State Fair. Her involvement in the 4-H horse project – competing in showing, judging, hippology, speech and horse bowl at the state and national levels – has influenced her career path. During her college years, Lisa has written for the school newspaper, teacher-assisted a publication design class, freelanced for equine publications, served an internship for a 4-H equine resource book, and helped launch a new equine publication. After graduation, she’s looking forward to entering into the horse industry, staying versatile and exploring her options.
Lisa is the daughter of Chris and Sandy Kucharski of Woodstock, IL.
April Leonard, 21, is a senior at Cazenovia College in New York, where she majors in Equine Business Management. Her first experience with horses was western riding lessons during childhood. While in high school and college, she worked at a western riding facility caring for a herd of horses and teaching riding lessons. She rode on the western varsity riding team as a freshman at Cazenovia, but broadened her riding skills by taking hunt seat lessons the following three years. During summer 2012, April was an intern for both Sidelines Magazine and the Certified Horsemanship Association’s magazine, The Instructor. The internships allowed April to hone her interviewing, writing and photography skills. She also had an opportunity to administrate the Sidelines Magazine’s Facebook page and other web pages. She loves to write as much as she loves horses, so she is excited to find the perfect blend of these two interests. She plans to pursue a career in equine publishing after graduation. Her goal focuses on magazine writing, but working with blogs and social media would also be an interesting aspect of her career.
April is the daughter of Bill Leonard and Mary Gleason of Owego, NY.
Misty Vidrine, 21, is a senior at Texas A&M University, majoring in Agricultural Communications and Journalism. As she blew out the candles on her fifth birthday, everyone knew what was galloping through her mind. As she turned around, her eyes fell upon a sorrel Shetland pony. From that day forward, Misty has lived and breathed horses. From the time she was able to ride, her mother had told her, “If you fall off, you get right back on.” Little did she realize, her mother’s words would become her personal philosophy. In the 14 years that she competed with her Quarter Horses, she can remember the sheer excitement of walking into the ring and the happiness and self-satisfaction of finally achieving her goals. She remembers the heartbreak of losing her first horse to colic and being so devastated that she thought she would never ride again. However, if she hadn’t “got back on the horse” figuratively and literally, she wouldn’t be the person she is today. Combining her passion for the sport and hobby of horseback riding with her communication skills has been a goal of hers for a while now.
Misty is the daughter of Mitch and Kristie Vidrine of Dayton, Texas.
The three travel award winners were selected from a field of 15 applicants. The three finalists will be interviewed at the AHP seminar where one student will be announced as the 2013 Student Award winner at the Student Party on Friday, June 21, 2013. The Student Award winner wins a cash award of $1,000 plus an all-expense paid trip hosted by Publishers Press to one of their Two-Day Customer Education Seminars in Louisville, Kentucky, to have a unique experience to learn the printing process.
The Student Award program, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2013, was initiated to promote awareness to students of the career opportunities available in equine publishing. “This program has been a win-win for both the students and the association,” says AHP Executive Director Chris Brune. “Not only does it offer students a chance to learn about a career they may be passionate about, but it also has given equine publishing a long list of talented young people who are an asset to our industry and our association.”
American Horse Publications offers students interested in a career in equine publishing with several opportunities to participate in its association. To request information about any of AHP’s student programs, please contact: Judy Lincoln, American Horse Publications, 49 Spinnaker Circle, South Daytona, FL 32119; (386) 760-7743, e-mail: ahorsepubs2@aol.com. Information is also available online at the AHP web site at www.americanhorsepubs.org under Students.