Hilton HHonors Supports Teachers With The Teacher Treks Travel Grant Contest

Looking back at my middle school experience, I was just a growing girl, uncertain of myself and my abilities. Going into the 6th grade, we entered a new school with new teachers, which was both exciting and frightening. Well, frightening until I walked into Mrs. Oxford's English class. She was the type of teacher who cared for her students and wanted to see them not only succeed, but to better themselves and grow as a person. I never have been a great writer, but do enjoy writing, which Mrs. Oxford sensed immediately. From that moment on, she helped me with my stories and poems, telling me how great they were. It gave me confidence not only as a writer, but helped me learn something about myself.

Until that moment, I'd never had a teacher who cared for her students and really wanted to make such a difference. At 32 years old, I still think about her and the profound effect she had on me. I was such an awkward little tomgirl who was shy, but by the end of the year, I had a deeper love of literature and writing, which has stuck with me ever since.

Hilton HHonors wants to recognize amazing teachers like Mrs. Oxford with the Hilton HHonors Teacher Treks Travel Grant Competition! Hilton HHonors is the loyalty program for Hilton Worldwide's hotel brands and has now announced the 30 finalists of its Teacher Treks Travel Grand Competition. Which means that from now until April 30th, 2013, they need your help narrowing down these awesome teachers to 15 winners!

It will be a tough decision, so take a look at all of the great entries and make your votes. The 15 winning teachers will be provided travel and experience related to the subject they teach, which helps enrich their curriculum and further inspire students. What better way than experiencing the world first-hand!

The finalists are from several states, including North Carolina, New Mexico, Texas, Illinois and Michigan. Take a look and see if there are any finalists from your home state
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Need another reason to go and vote? Each vote you make counts as an entry for a $250 Hilton HHonors Gift Card! So, not only can you help someone win, but you have a chance to win, too! There will be 10 winners for the $250 Hilton HHonors Gift Card, so go vote.

The 15 top winners will receive a $6,000 travel grant to the destination of their choice. In addition, the teacher's school will receive a $2,500 grant for cultural activities and enhancements. That's not all, though. The 15 runners-up will also receive a $2,500 grand for their school and one winner will receive a cultural excursion for their classroom valued at $1500.

Hilton HHonors knows the power of travel, which brings people together and helps us understand different cultures and countries. As someone who has traveled often, I can say that this will be an amazing experience for the winners and something that will change them for the rest of their lives. I love that they will be able to not only get to go on such a wonderful trip, but will also be able to share their experiences with students from that moment forward. This can inspire and encourage students to also travel, learn and experience the world.

Click here to also sign up for the Hilton HHonors program! We've been a member for over a year now and have gotten some great discounts in our weekly newsletter.

Disclosure: This post was written in conjunction with Hilton HHonors and Global Influence. I was paid for this post, though all opinions provided are my own.