Bend teen wins Alzheimer’s Foundation essay contest, $5,000 scholarship

NEW YORK (KTVZ) -- The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America has named Pilar Elaine Carson of Bend, Oregon, the first-place winner of its national 2020 Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness College Scholarship Essay Contest and awarded her a $5,000 college scholarship. 

Pilar, a 17-year-old Summit High School graduate, was chosen from approximately 2,000 entries nationwide for her essay about her experiences with her grandfather, who lived with Alzheimer’s disease, and her time working in a memory care facility. 

“Pilar’s emotional essay about her grandfather, her work with individuals who have Alzheimer’s disease, and the lessons she learned from those experiences will help raise Alzheimer’s awareness and provide strength and support to millions of other families who are dealing with the same challenges,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s president and CEO. 

“We congratulate Pilar on winning this competition, thank her for sharing her story and are grateful for her efforts in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.”

Pilar’s essay focused on her grandfather and her fond memories of him.  She remembers eating ice cream with him and her twin sister, and their walks home together, which she didn’t realize at the time was intended to help her grandfather improve his physical strength.

Then, she described her memories with her grandfather a few years later after Alzheimer’s set in — although life was different because of the disease’s progression and her grandfather moving into a retirement home, one thing that did not change was the strength of their relationship. 

Pilar also wrote about her experiences working in a local memory care facility where she participated in art projects, gardening, exercise, “Coffee Talks,” and numerous other activities with the residents.  She described her relationships with some of the residents, particularly one woman named Kate, who would always ask her about her life and shared a commonality with her because they are both twins.

Pilar’s grandfather and Kate taught Pilar that “although Alzheimer's is a tragic and devastating disease, there is still so much life, love, and humor to be shared with one another.” 

Pilar’s experiences have inspired her to pursue a double major at Occidental College in Los Angeles — psychology, where she wants to focus on how best to interact with individuals in varying stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and political science, to help bring more urgency to Alzheimer’s research and finding a cure through the legislative process. 

AFA’s annual Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness College Scholarship Essay Contest asks high school seniors to describe how Alzheimer’s disease impacts their lives, what they’ve learned in the face of coping with it and how they plan to help others who are affected by it.

This year, AFA awarded over $41,000 in college scholarships to 59 students from across the country. Since the program’s inception, AFA has awarded nearly $300,000 in college scholarships to students affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

For more information about AFA’s Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness College Scholarship Essay Contest, call AFA at 866-232-8484 or visit www.alzfdn.org.