Events

May 2007

Embassy Honors Winners of the 2007 U.S. Culture Essay Contest, Ljubljana, May 10, 2007

On May 10 Ambassador Thomas Robertson held a reception at his residence for the student winners of the 2007 U.S. Culture Essay Contest.  The students’ mentors, school principals and representatives of the National Education Institute (NEI) also attended the event.  This is the second annual U.S. Culture High School Essay contest sponsored by the embassy as part of an ongoing effort to reach out to Slovenian students.

The three top prizewinners – Ines KavgiÄ? from Gimanzija Slovenj Gradec and Luka Jesenšek and Matej Toplak from Prva Gimnazija Maribor – all received laptop computers and award certificates.  Seven other students from Maribor, Slovenj Gradec, Koper, Nova Gorica and Skofja Loka received “Honorable Mention” award certificates.  The NEI ran the contest and sought first, second and third year students from the 20 high schools across Slovenia that are participating in its “global classrooms” project.   “We asked the students to compare various aspects of Slovenia and the United States and I was surprised by the diversity of topics that students focused upon in their essays… It shows that regardless of the topic, Slovenes and Americans have a lot of reasons to communicate and to cooperate...,” said Ambassador Robertson in his remarks.

Ambassador Thomas Robertson with the three top winners, Luka Jesenšek and Matej Toplak from Prva Gimnazija Maribor and Ines KavgiÄ? from Gimnazija Slovenj Gradec

Ambassador Robertson with 2007 student Essay contest winners

Ambassador Robertson giving remarks, Director of the NEI Gregor MohorÄ?iÄ?, Essay Contest organizer Katja Škerjanc of the NEI and Robert Raplenovich of Gimnazija Nova Gorica