28 Aug 2023 Conway Corp names annual contest winners

Posted at 6:49 PMh in Business by

By Beth Jimmerson

Every year, Conway Corp celebrates public power by encouraging local students to show their energy smarts and participate in a poster and essay contest. Students in grades Pre-K-four were asked to create a poster on the theme “My Life, Powered by Conway Corp,” while students in fifth-seventh grades and eighth-12 grades were asked to write an essay or create a video on the same theme. Prizes were awarded in each age category.

Julia Lee Moore Elementary third-grader Farredah Oyeniyi won first place in the poster contest. Farredah won a Conway Corp prize pack, trophy and a $100 donation for her school’s art program.

Luke Sides won first place in the 5-7 grade category for his essay “Living On-Grid.” Luke was a seventh-grader at Ruth Doyle Middle School during the 2022-2023 school year.

Lily Douglas won first place in the 8-12 grade category for her essay “The Light of Conway.” Charlotte was a senior at Conway High School during the 2022-2023 school year.

Luke’s winning essay:

“Beep! Beep! Beep!

I wake up with a start as my alarm goes off. It’s 6:20 a.m., time to get ready for the school day. Conway Corp has already played a role in my life today, and I’ve only just woken up. That alarm that just went off? It runs on electricity, which Conway Corp provides my house with. And without that alarm, I probably wouldn’t have woken up on time, which would have made me late for school.

Now I go through my morning routine, which includes taking a shower, microwaving a Jimmy Dean sausage muffin for breakfast, brushing my teeth, and playing Wordle on my phone. But wait! All of these would be impossible without Conway Corp. The clean water for my shower and for brushing my teeth comes from Conway Corp. The electricity used to power the microwave and charge my phone is provided by Conway Corp. So far, Conway Corp has helped with my hygiene, allowed me to enjoy a hot meal, and provided me with entertainment.

Once I’m at school, I usually go to my first period class, but since this week has been ACT Aspire testing week, I go to my testing room. Why am I mentioning ACT Aspire? Well, without Conway Corp internet, we wouldn’t be able to take the test. I use my school’s Conway Corp internet throughout the day to complete online assignments and play games in my free time. School lunch is served hot, but how would they cook it without Conway Corp’s power? They would probably have to light a fire, and that would be not only less efficient but also much more dangerous.

Next, I come home from school, exhausted by a day of hard work. I crash on the couch, grab the TV remote, and turn on the TV. I use my phone to text my friends, and then I often read a book on my Kindle. Plus, on Fridays my family likes to watch streamed movies together. All of these forms of entertainment that I enjoy at home come from (you guessed it!) Conway Corp’s internet and electrical services.

When it’s time for my mom to cook dinner for my family, she uses our stove, oven, microwave, mixer, blender, etc. Since all of these everyday appliances run on electricity, Conway Corp has a lot of influence in my diet, which can greatly affect everything–from my health to my attitude.

At some point, I’ll need to go to the bathroom; Conway Corp’s wastewater services keep my house clean. Before there were toilets that could flush into a sewer system, people had to throw their waste outside onto the street, creating a gross and unsanitary environment just outside their front doors. Thankfully, Conway Corp has saved our city from that smelly fate.

Finally, I get ready for bed, again using the shower and sink. At this time of night, electric lights become helpful. It is dark by the time I’m getting ready for bed, and Conway Corp provides the electricity to power all of the lights in my house. Of course, I could use candles, but those are unpredictable, inconvenient, and dim.

This is my daily routine and how Conway Corp plays a role in the individual parts of it. However, certain variables can increase how much I rely on Conway Corp daily. For example, during the flu season, I need to wash my hands a lot more often than usual to avoid contracting the virus. Since Conway Corp supplies my clean water, I partially have them to thank for my health. 

Other variables that can increase my dependence on Conway Corp are tornadoes. During a tornado, it is good to be able to see the news to find out what exactly is going on and whether you are in any immediate danger. Since I watch the news on my phone or TV, Conway Corp is indirectly keeping me informed on the current situation.

Thank you, Conway Corp, for powering my life in all these ways.”

Lily’s winning essay: 

Julia Lee Moore Elementary third-grader Farredah Oyeniyi won first place in the poster contest.

“I’ve always been one to reminisce. I’ve spent the past two hundred and fifty-three days recording a second of my day just for the future pleasure of looking back. Nostalgia is powerful. This powerful force has, in my memory, become intertwined with the use of Conway Corp. I’ve lived in Conway all my life. It feels like the city, each bend and twist in the road, every shop that has helped pass the time, and all the schools where I’ve befriended so many and have learned so much, have become permanently ingrained in my memory. As I’m rushed into this transitional period of life, a chapter where I’m graduating, leaving my hometown, and having new expectations put on me; I find myself looking back at my younger years, realizing how simple that period of my life was.

Conway Corp has consistently been an integral part of my life. From when I was a child who would attempt to imitate the gymnasts I saw on the television, to the adolescent who would pass the time on the phone, and now to the girl who enjoys every afternoon practicing swimming at the University of Central Arkansas. As a kid, during the summer days, Conway Corp would power the water that would run through my oscillating sprinkler. The sprinkler would bring entertainment, laughter, and relief from the blistering sun to my friends and me, and bring nutrients and hydration to the grass and myriad of plants my mom planted that spring in our garden beds.

Conway Corp powers the electricity in the many houses in our town. From the homes in East Conway that have brought sanctuary to generations of families to the new growth houses being built in the west. The electricity that allows the lights, electronic devices, refrigerators, and more, the items that improve our daily lives, consistently stay functional. Conway Corp powered the lights I would constantly turn on as a kid when I would wander around the house in the dead of night because I was terrified of the unknown terrors that could be waiting in the dark. They have powered the television in my house, the one I would wake up to on the weekends for an early morning showing of my favorite cartoon or run home to after school from the bus stop to not miss a long-awaited special showing of a new show. Conway Corp has helped bring delicious meals to my table since childhood by powering the refrigerator. The refrigerator that held the countless strawberries I would eat during the summer, the milk I would add to my cereal before heading to school, and the ice cream I would eat while watching a movie with my family.

Without Conway Corp, the connection between my friends, family, and past would not be as powerful as it is today. Every day, friends that sit in the same seat, in the same classroom, are able to stay in touch after the school day through the use of our phones. Similarly, the friends that I will meet after I graduate and the friends that live out of state are able to get to know me and stay in touch with me through the phone that is supported by Conway Corp.

Without the use of my phone, I wouldn’t be able to look back on the innumerable events that I’ve experienced and learned from, the different people and places I’ve encountered while traveling around a new environment, and the countless photos of notes I’ve taken during my time at school.

Conway Corp has powered my childhood, powers my present, and will continue to power my future. While Conway Corp provides advantages in many areas of life, such as light, heat and air, water, electricity, and the internet, it’s an even more relevant staple in my life as it had such an influence on my childhood and continues to influence my nostalgia. Without Conway Corp, I wouldn’t be able to watch a childhood show when I’m feeling down, listen to music my parents would play through the speakers in the house while I was a kid to keep me motivated while doing homework or look back on photos and videos when I’m feeling reminiscent. Conway Corp not only powers my everyday objects, but the way I think about my past and how I will perceive my future.”

Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 Energy Smart Poster and Essay Contest and thank you to all students who submitted an entry. Conway Corp is proud of these students, who continue to remind us how integral Conway Corp is to our daily lives. We’ve been helping power area education since our creation in 1929, and we’re looking forward to the start of another great school year this month.

Beth Jimmerson
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