Glendale Middle School eighth-grader Bibhash Neupane couldn't have felt more different from his peers when his family immigrated to the U.S. from Nepal when he was 7. Not only did he not look like many of his Norman, Okla., classmates, he was also a vegetarian thrown into a meat-loving society.

Bibhash, who moved to Salt Lake City as a fifth-grader, wrote about his experiences for an essay contest sponsored by the Utah National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME). Bibhash, and four others, were named winners, each pocketing a $1,000 scholarship.

Utah NAME challenged students to answer the questions, "What makes you diverse?" "What challenges have you faced because of your diversity?" "How have those challenges made you grow, be brave, have hope?" and "How has your diversity helped you in your life?"

"Vegetarian. One of the few words that catches a person's attention," began Bibhash in his winning essay.

Bibhash went on to describe his first days as a student in the U.S.

"When I first came to America, I was shocked," he wrote. "I was surprised to see people so ... different. ... So, at school, I just kept quiet and did my work. I didn't even ask for help when I needed it. Then some kids came up to me and asked me my name. I didn't respond. I kept looking at the paper in front of me."

Bibhash went on to describe how his vegetarianism opened doors to meeting friends.

"I went to lunch and got pepperoni pizza, banana and milk. I went to sit at the table my class was in. I sat down alone and started eating my banana. I must've been chewing a while because a boy came and asked me if I was gonna eat my pizza. I said no and I explained to him that I was vegetarian so I don't eat meat. The boy ran over to his friends and told them that I was a vegetarian. Soon a half of the class was crowding around me. They were asking questions like 'do you only eat vegetables?' or 'how do you get your protein?'"

The back-and-forth led to friendships in his new state of Oklahoma.

"I had some of the best times in those two years," wrote Bibhash of his time there.

Bibhash said "there are a ton of vegetarians in Nepal." He explained why he chooses to abstain from meat.

"One of the reasons is vegetarians live longer," Bibhash said, "and I wanted to see how the world's going to change later in life."

He's also an animal lover. "I've been trying to convince my parents to get a dog or a cat for about nine years," he said.

Bibhash' essay was one of 192 submitted to Utah NAME's first annual essay contest by students from across the state.

"I think what that number really represents is the large number of diverse students in Utah who are courageous enough to write about their experiences," said Utah NAME president Ramona Maile Kutri.

The essays will soon be compiled in a booklet, which will be available for purchase at utahname.org.

"We wanted to celebrate diverse students in Utah who have aspirations beyond high school," Kutri said. "We wanted to not only celebrate them, but we wanted to support them, and one of the best ways to support them is with money."

Bibhash -- who spent his check on an iPod Touch -- has since made lots of friends in Utah, too. He remembers when his English teacher, Elizabeth Buirley, announced to his class that a Glendale Middle School student was a winner in the Utah NAME essay contest.

One of Bibhash's classmates launched into a mock acceptance speech, but then Buirley revealed the real winner.

"I started smiling," he said. "I made a few jokes, and said 'Who wants my autograph?'"