7th Annual Essay Contest
This year’s Contest is entitled, Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes, because we are asking students to learn about the different programs offered by Lifting Up Westchester and to write a narrative about someone who accessed and benefited from one of those programs. As students write their story, we are also asking them to think about whether this individual or family experienced implicit bias as they sought help.
Many of us have preconceived ideas, even an implicit bias, about what a homeless individual looks like, who might need food from a “soup kitchen,” why some children need extra tutoring/mentoring, or why some individuals need help in securing apartments.
The student’s story can be inspired by real events or come completely from their imagination. We are asking students not to include actual names if their story is based on someone they know, have seen in school, in their community, or during their travels. The story should be between 750 to 1,000 words and describe someone who needed help from one of Lifting Up Westchester programs: Emergency Housing, Housing Services, Food, Health and Life Skills Support and Next Generation Youth Programs.
Congratulations to all
of our 2024 Essay Contest Winners!
7th & 8th Grade:
1st Place: Stephanie Collins, Eastchester Middle School
2nd Place: Stephanie Stibler, Saint Augustine School
3rd Place: Jui Karande, Briarcliff Middle School
9th & 10th Grade:
1st Place: Sonali Browning, Rye Neck High School
2nd Place: Isaac Carrillo, Horace Greeley High School
3rd Place: Sophie Xie, Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School
11th & 12th Grade
1st Place: Ella Grann, Rye Neck High School
2nd Place: Isabella Vembenil, The Ursuline School
3rd Place: Sara Hanna, Harrison High School
The contest has been funded in loving memory of Beth Massey Rubens, a lifelong teacher, tutor, and mentor with a particular love for language arts.