The Eastside Republican Club announced the winners of its 2017 Scholarship Essay Contest:

• $1,000: Alexander Peterson, Snohomish, freshman at University of Washington

• $750: Kira Newell, Mercer Island, freshman at Northwestern University

• $500: Christopher Dierkes, Mercer Island, senior at Mercer Island High School

The scholarships were presented on May 2, at the club’s monthly meeting at Embassy Suites in Bellevue.

Applicants for the scholarship essay program were required to submit a 500 word essay on the topic: What is the responsibility of the media in a free society? Essayists were required to live in King County or attend a public, private, or home school in King County, and be high school seniors graduating in 2017 or freshmen or sophomores in an accredited college or university. Winners were selected by a committee of judges made up of members of the board of directors of the Eastside Republican Club.

The winning essays are posted on the Eastside Republican Club website at www.eastsiderepublicanclub.org/scholarship.

The Eastside Republican Club, founded in 1984, provides a warm, friendly and welcoming environment for Republicans living on the Eastside of King County. The club provides an opportunity to get to know other Republicans, to become involved with the political process, to support Republican candidates and to learn more about the issues of the day.

For more information, visit www.EastsideRepublicanClub.org.