2017 Essay Contest Winners

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS AND HONORABLE MENTIONS FOR 2017!

We are very pleased and honored to announce the winners and honorable mentions of the 29th Celebration of Youth essay contest. THANK YOU to all the participants, teachers, parents, principals, and other magnificent educators who helped to make this happen. We are very proud of all the students, and we are delighted with this year’s round of winners and honorable mentions. They will be contacted about the details of their acknowledgement ceremony.

Grades 4 to 6 Winners

First Place: Grace Thornton, Grade 4, Eaton Elementary, Mrs. Mary Clayman

Second Place: Antoinette Jean-Baptiste, Grade 5, Whittier Education Campus, Ms. Alaina Wood

Third Place: Amar Johnson, Grade 4, Eaton Elementary, Mrs. Mary Clayman

Fourth Place: Winta Brhane, Grade 5, DC Prep Edgewood MC, Ms. Adriana Antunez

Fifth Place: Nathaniel Wiegmann, Grade 6, Alice Deal MS, Ms. Emily Culp

Sixth Place: Zaynab Ewing-Boyd, Grade 6, DC International School, Mr. Michael Hicks

Seventh Place: Anna Potter, Grade 5, Langdon Elementary, Mrs. Claire Andrews

Grades 7 to 9 Winners

First Place: Johanna Acosta-Gonzalez, Grade 8, Whittier EC, Ms. Abby Smith & Ms. Signe Nelson

Second Place: Mirielle Skolnick, Grade 7, Hardy Middle School, Ms. Felicia Messina-D’Haiti

Third Place: Alethea Bennett, Grade 8, LaSalle-Backus Education Campus

Fourth Place: Ayanna McClellan, Grade 7, Brookland MS, Ms. Shendrina Walker

Fifth Place: Jade Gregoire, Grade 8, Hardy Middle School, Ms. Felicia Messina-D’Haiti

Sixth Place: Taniya Gaddis, Grade 8, Wheatley EC, Ms. Monica Jones-Martinez

Seventh Place: Nathan Minor, Grade 8, Wheatley EC, Ms. Monica Jones-Martinez

Honorable Mentions

  • Ahmed Ahmed, Grade 9, McKinley Technology HS, Ms. Linda Wallace
  • Erlina Berisha, Grade 5, Capital City Public Charter School, Ms. Hull
  • Alexandria Anaya Brown, Grade 7, Kipp DC Northeast Academy, Ms. Natalie Chapman
  • Daniella Ciccione, Grade 8, Hardy Middle School, Ms. Felicia Messina-D’Haiti
  • Destanie Coleman, Grade 5, Whittier Education Campus, Ms. Alaina Wood
  • Devon Creque, Grade 4, Barnard ES, Ms. Alina Majer-Robbins
  • Hazel Cross, Grade 4, Inspired Teaching School, Mr. Ash Moser
  • Fatima Diallo, Grade 9, McKinley High School, Ms. Linda Wallace
  • Tessa Furlow, Grade 6, Alice Deal Middle School, Mr. Adam Kirschebaum
  • Drew Heaven, Grade 8, Hardy Middle School, Ms. Felicia Messina-D’Haiti
  • Linnea Leijon, Grade 6, Alice Deal Middle School, Ms. Emily Culp
  • Felipe Lemus, Grade 4, Bancroft Elementary, Ms. Juliana Klein
  • Imani Nesbeth, Grade 4, Whittier Education Campus, Mrs. Dianne Moore-Williams
  • Rose Ngatchou*, Grade 9, DC International School, Mr. Andrew Ratner
  • Amaia Noursi, Grade 6, Alice Deal Middle School, Ms. Emily Culp
  • Kamiyah Olumba, Grade 5, Whittier Education Campus, Ms. Alaina Wood
  • Xavier Robertson, Grade 8, Wheatley Education Campus, Ms. Monica Jones Martinez
  • Camelia Terraza, Grade 7, Alice Deal Middle School, Ms. Megan Belser
  • Mariela Tirado, Grade 8, School Without Walls at Francis Stevens, Ms. Lina Wahid
  • Torrenz Ward, Grade 9, McKinley Technology HS, Ms. Linda Wallace
  • Alexandra Webber, Grade 8, Alice Deal Middle School

*Rose was Second Place Winner in 2016 in the Grades 7 to 9 Division