Julie Wash, grade six English language arts teacher at Manheim Central Middle School, has a talented bunch of writers as students. Three of them were recently selected as winners of a writing contest sponsored by Sertoma. About 100 students from the school entered the contest, and Abigail Reed, Tyler Zahora and Gracelyn Swarr were chosen as the winners, Wash said. The students will be recognized and will receive a plaque at the Sertoma Club in Manheim on Thursday, June 2.
"The Sertoma Club has sponsored this contest as long as I have been in the district - 25 years," Wash noted, adding that although the theme has been consistent, what students choose to write about differs each year. "It has been interesting to see the varied approaches to the same theme, 'What does freedom mean to me?' Over the years, the topics have ranged from abolishing slavery to women in professional sports."
All three students noted that writing about something that mattered to them personally made it easier to complete the essay. "A lot of the things I included in my essay are things that I personally believe in," said Gracelyn. "I wrote about equal rights, freedom of religion, voting rights and being able to make your own decisions for your health."
While Tyler's essay focused on topics ranging from the Revolutionary War to the importance of people believing in themselves, Abigail wrote about important role models in history who had to fight for their freedom. "It also explains how I don't have to fight for my freedoms, because of how courageous they were," she said.
Each of the students expressed excitement and surprise at finding out they had won the contest. "I was extremely surprised when I heard my name being called on the announcements," Gracelyn remarked. "I never thought I was going to win. ... A few days before, I had laughed at the thought of winning. So many other kids tried hard, too. I feel honored that they chose my essay out of the many others that were written."
Wash noted she's very impressed with the winners and their writing skills, adding, "I have many excellent writers this year, and these three embraced the topic."
Tyler offered advice for other students who enter essay contests, noting, "I only wrote what I thought, and I ended up winning. Writing what you think is easier than it sounds."
Abigail agreed and encouraged her peers to take a leap of faith. "It doesn't matter if you win or not; just go for it," she commented. "Try your best and write from your heart."
Gracelyn advised students to get creative. "Let everything you can imagine flow from your mind into your writing," she said. "Every individual writer is different, and we all have different beliefs and interests. So write about what you want to write. Let your imagination run wild. That is what will create an impressive story."
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