WATERLOO - A handful of fifth-graders never expected to receive a college scholarship for a classroom assignment.

The Waterloo Kiwanis Club selected five out of about 50 essays they felt best described the meaning of good character as part of the Character Counts program at their Tuesday luncheon.

In addition to the $50 each winner received from the Kiwanis, parents and club members alike were surprised at guest speaker Wartburg College President Jack Ohle's offer. Impressed with the winners' essays, Ohle granted each student a $1,000 scholarship if they choose to attend Wartburg.

"Wartburg is proud to give these young ladies a scholarship," Ohle said. "I think they will show character throughout their lives."

Fifth-graders across the Waterloo school system were encouraged to write an essay explaining the "Six Pillars" of Character Counts - trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

"(Character Counts) is what Kiwanis are all about," Kiwani president Bruce Clark said. "Our club is about changing the world one child at a time."

Clark said the winning essays will be showcased at Crossroads Center later this summer as part of a Character Counts display.

Rachel Flynn of Kittrell Elementary, Yesenia Garcia of Irving, Megan Schmidt of Walter Cunningham, Courtney Weber of Orange and Elana Williams of Kingsley rounded out the winners.

Flynn said she got inspiration for her essay when she was baking chocolate chip cookies.

"For a good cookie, you need all the different ingredients," Flynn said. "To be a good person, you need all the pillars of character."