LWV Greenwich Announces Winners Of 5th Annual Student Essay Contest

Courtesy of League of Women Voters of Greenwich

GREENWICH, CT — LWV Greenwich is pleased to announce the winners of its fifth annual “Essay” Contest. The Contest is one LWV Greenwich initiative that seeks to involve young people in our mission to build an understanding of and participation in the democratic process.

This year, students in grades 3-12 who either live or go to school in Greenwich were encouraged to respond to the prompt; “Why should people vote?” in their choice of format. The Award Winners will be recognized at the LWV Greenwich Annual Dinner on Wednesday, June 5th at Riverside Yacht Club.

The winning projects and submissions are posted on the LWV Greenwich website HERE.

The winners of the 2024 LWV Greenwich “Essay” Contest are:

Elementary School:

• Jackson Lowe, Old Greenwich School, Grade 5 - Carter the Cat (cartoon)

Middle School:

• Adriana Bozza, Caroline Stowe, Adriana Pia Portolano Vergona, Pauline Wells, Central Middle School, Grade 8 - No Vote, No Choice: No Vote, No Voice (play)

High School:

• Winner: Justin Qu, Greenwich High School, Grade 11 - Why Vote Essay (paper)

Runners Up:

• Alexa Loera Greenwich High School, Grade 10 - “Preservation” (poem)
• Natasha Arakal and Keira Frascella, Sacred Heart Greenwich, Grade 11 - Why Vote? (PSA – Public Service Announcement)

Prizes:

• Grades 3-5: $100 gift certificate to Athena Books
• Grades 6-8: $100 gift certificate to Diane’s Books
• Grades 9-12 : First prize: $500, runners up: $250

Each project was evaluated by at least two different judges according to a rubric which rewarded creativity, research, independent thinking, and a message that was clear and conveyed error-free.

Our team of judges included two State Representatives, retired educators, two Selectwomen, and LWV Greenwich Board members – including a literary agent.

A nonpartisan and nonprofit organization, LWV Greenwich builds citizen participation in the democratic process, studies key community issues in an unbiased manner, and seeks positive solutions to public policy issues through education.