CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS AND HONORABLE MENTIONS FOR 2016!

We are very pleased and honored to announce the winners and honorable mentions of the 28th Celebration of Youth essay contest. THANK YOU to all the participants, teachers, parents, principals, and other magnificent educators who helped to make this happen. The essays went through several rounds of judging and the final judges were: Lesli Foster of WUSA; Colbert King, a columnist for the Washington Post; and Margaret Talbot, a writer for the New Yorker Magazine. We are so grateful for their wisdom, time, caring, and expertise.

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: Kiarra Lucas – Grade 5, DC Prep – Edgewood MS, Ms. Cristina Grover

Second Place: Jobari Shelton – Grade 5, DC Prep Edgewood Middle Campus, Cristina Grover

Third Place: Heyci Lara – Grade 5, Bruce Monroe ES at Park View, Ms. Amy Dinan

Fourth Place: Camiya Lanier – Grade 5, Whittier Education Campus, Ms. Alaina Wood

Fifth Place: Abigal Potter – Grade 6, Brookland MS, Mrs. Julie Livni

Sixth Place: Dolce Simmons – Grade 6, McKinley MS, Ms. Modestine Welch-Davis

Seventh Place: Lindsey Cook – Grade 5 (ESL), Whittier Education Campus, Ms. Alaina Wood

Eighth Place: Pons Nava Pineda – Grade 4, Thomson ES, Ms. Jacqueline Bruce-Yamin

Grades 7 to 9 Winners

First Place: Ragia Holland – Grade 9, Friendship Collegiate Academy, K. Booth

Second Place: Rose Ngatchou – Grade 8, Dc International School, Omar Tanamly

Third Place: Treasure Harley – Grade 9, Frank Ballou High School, Ordale J. Allen

Fourth Place Tie: Eve Ellis – Grade 7, Brookland MS, Shendrina Walker

Fourth Place Tie: Laci N. Joseph – Grade 7, Brookland MS, Shendrina Walker

Fifth Place: Christina Harvey – Grade 7, Brookland MS, Shendrina Walker

Honorable Mentions

• Ean Bowie – Grade 5, DC Prep Edgewood MS, Ms. Adriana Antunez
• *Jayden Guidry Branson – Grade 5, Barnard Elementary, Ms. Montgomery
• Nyeema Carter – Grade 4, Barnard ES, Ms. Alina Majer-Robbins
• Daniela Mendez Castro – Grade 4, Thomson Elementary, Ms. Jacqueline Bruce-Yamin
• Daniela A. Flores – Grade 5, Bruce Monroe Elementary at Park View, Ms. Amy Dinan
• Au’Jinae Roberts-Fountain – Grade 8, Eliot Hine MS, Simone Harris-Woodard
• Brendan Grant – Grade 4, Barnard ES, Ms. Griselda Rutherford
• Xavier Green – Grade 6, Brookland MS, Julie Livni
• Brian Guzman – Grade 4, Barnard ES, Ms. Griselda Rutherford
• Willa Hance – Grade 7, Capital City Public Charter School, Abby Hall
• Kenia Hernandez – Grade 7, Center City PCS Brightwood Campus, Abby Thompson
• Lamrot Jinfessa – Grade 7, Raymond Education Campus, Ms. Forde
• Azaria Jordan – Grade 4, Barnard ES, Ms. Alina Majer-Robbins
• Austin Kuang – Grade 4, Thomson Elementary, Ms. Jacqueline Bruce-Yamin
• Catherine Lopez – Grade 4, Barnard ES, Ms. Alina Majer-Robbins
• Edwin Lopez Marroquin – Grade 4, Thomson Elementary School, Ms. Jacqueline Bruce-Yamin
• Asa Marshall – Grade 7, Brookland MS, Shendrina Walker
• Evelyn Martell-Robles – Grade 4, Bruce Monroe Elementary at Park View, Ms. Lauren Petric
• Walter Palacios – Grade 6, Brookland MS, Julie Livni
• Ashley Zambrano Vasquez – Grade 4, Raymond Education Campus, Ms. Cho

*First Place Winner in 2015