2012 to Mark 10th Annual Fargo Lions Club Student Speakers Contest

 

History of the Laura Christenson Espejo Social Justice Prize

 

Laura Christensen was born March 8, 1961, the daughter of Boyd and Marlene Christensen. She grew up in Fargo, attending Nativity Elementary School and Shanley High School. Laura was part of Shanley’s first debate team and graduated in 1979. She then spent a year in Santa Cruz, Bolivia as a Rotary International Exchange student. She was a registered nurse, receiving an associate degree in 1982 and later a B.S. degree from NDSU.

 

Laura and Napoleon (Lucho) Espejo were married in Chimbote, Peru in 1983 and lived in Lima and Chimbote until 1993 when they returned to the U.S. for Lucho to complete a medical residency. While living in Peru, Laura worked for various non-governmental organizations in the areas of public health and development. Working cooperatively with others, she sought to empower those she served, realizing that the process often was more important than the end result. Laura was interested in production and dissemination of knowledge and had the opportunity to co-author three public health manuals, one of which was utilized by UNICEF. Their four children, Natalia, Juan, Luis, and Daniel were born in Peru.

 

Laura worked with Fargo Cass County Public Health as a nurse with Healthcare for the Homeless. She had a deep sense of the social injustice locally and in the world and was very committed to social justice issues. Laura served the “underserved population,” as she called them, with all she had. It was always in their plan to return to Peru and work as a team serving the “poorest of the poor.” Laura died of cancer July 25, 2000, at the age of 39.

 

In 2001, a group of Natalia’s friends at Shanley High School initiated the Laura Christensen Espejo Speech Tournament. Over a three year period, Shanley students raised over $12,000.00, with profits going to local charities, including the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center and the Social Justice Fund administered by the FM Area Foundation.

 

In 2003, the Fargo Lions Club joined forces with friends of Laura in an effort to find a meaningful way to remember her life and work. In response, the Fargo Lions Club Board approved the Student Speakers Contest which has been held annually during the month of March. Since the inception of the contest, the Fargo Lions have awarded over $2,500.00 in scholarships to Fargo area students. Laura’s mother, Marlene Christenson, continues to reside in south Fargo. Lucho and his wife, Marlene, also live in Fargo and serve the community through their work at the Fargo Health Clinic

 

Previous Winners:

 

2003    Scot Miller, Fargo South High School
2004    Annie Krapu, Shanley High School
2005    Tessie Jones, West Fargo High School
2006    Bill Restemayer, Shanley High School
2007    Kristen Vetter, Shanley High School
2008    Robert Vallie, Richland High School
2009    Teagan Lende, Shanley High School

2010    John Mitzel, Fargo South High School

2011    Anjali Lall, Davies High School

2012