Leslie Hester’s perfect Saturday afternoon would consist of a long hike in the Smoky Mountains with her husband and two dogs, followed by fajitas and a long nap.

However, on Feb. 1, Hester was a long way from the Smokies as she stood behind a podium in Washington, D.C., speaking about the nation’s education system.

Hester, a graduate research assistant in the College of Natural Resources, was a second runner up in a SinceSlicedBread.com contest, and the recipient of $50,000.

The contest, sponsored by the Service Employees International Union, solicited ideas that would help improve the lives of ordinary American workers, and it sought entries not from politicians but from everyday people.

In 174 words, Hester described her thoughts on the education system of America and her feelings about educational reforms like teachers’ salaries, rising public university tuition and k-12 school funding inequities.

After the judges chose Hester’s essay, the contest organizers invited her to speak in Washington, D.C.

“I was motivated to enter the contest because I believe in education,” Hester said. “Our nation’s current fiscal attitude toward education does not reflect the importance that many of us feel it plays in our daily lives and future.”

Hester’s friends and family said they were excited that Hester’s ideas stood out among the other entries.

Lindsay Killian, recycling coordinator at the office of waste reduction and recycling and Hester’s close friend, said she was proud of Hester’s accomplishment with the contest.

“My reaction was that I couldn’t think of a person more deserving of the award,” Killian said.

Thousands of people voiced their opinions on America’s current social issues through the submission of more than 22,000 ideas.

Among the semi-finalists contributions were submissions from a part-time tutor, a chef, a full-time student, a sales rep, a major in the military and a retiree.

“When I traveled to D.C. with my husband to meet the other finalists, I met ordinary people who were in the nation’s capital not to squabble about partisan politics but rather to discuss well-rounded solutions to everyday, real-life problems,” Hester said.

A panel of expert judges chose Hester along with 21 quarter-finalists to go to the semi-finals.

Two rounds of public voting on the Internet further narrowed the competition to a final group of seven.

“Because a public vote, and not an act of Congress, would decide the contest winners, I thought the contest was a great opportunity to propose a mandate from the people on this issue,” Hester said.

Sandy Page, a doctoral student in zoology and close friend of Hester, said she hopes Hester’s ideas can become a reality.

“Leslie’s ideas are very practical,” Page said. “The technical aspects need to be worked out, but her idea is excellent and is a great way to remind other’s of the situation.”

Equality in educational opportunities for both the rich and the poor was the basis for Hester’s platform.

Killian said Hester is determined to create equal opportunity for all people in the education system.

“Absolutely everything Leslie does in her personal, work and school life shows her commitment to making this world a better place,” Killian said.

Hester’s ideas impressed her friends and family, but also caught the attention of the judges and the public.

“Education affects everybody,” Hester said. “A fair shot at the American dream of personal and financial liberty, as it is known to some, should not require that you are born into wealth.”

Stacy Nelson, an assistant professor in forestry and environmental resources, is Hester’s advisor and close friend.

Nelson said he agrees with Hester’s ideas and philosophies about education, and says Hester’s ideas reflect her compassion and determination.

“Leslie is tremendously determined in her academic pursuits,” Nelson said. “But she is also able to pull that determination off with a sense of heart-felt compassion, which makes everyone want to get on board and pitch in as much as they can.”

Hester attended public school from kindergarten to college, which now includes graduate school.

She grew up in an area of Georgia where the local property tax base was sufficient.

“In Georgia, where federal dollars only meet about half of a school’s necessary funding, this local tax base ensured that my school had every resource advantage,” Hester said.

Hester was not lacking in educational opportunities herself, but her belief on educational reform and access to all was still strong.

“In our system, the rich can easily get richer just because their kids go on to the best high schools and colleges,” Hester said. “People from all backgrounds and socioeconomic origins should have the chance to become America’s future entrepreneurs and highly paid workers.”

As for the $50,000, Hester said she will use her prize money to pay back student loans, although she does have a few ideas of what she would buy if she were to splurge.

“I would bribe a faculty member for his or her campus parking sticker, buy that personal submarine from Hammacher Schlemmer and hire a gourmet chef for a year,” Hester said.

While there are no gourmet chefs in Hester’s future, she said she hopes her message about educational reform leaves a lasting impression on Capitol Hill.

“Hopefully my idea’s success has sent a small but clear message to Washington that we care about the future of education in this country,” Hester said.