Hillside Intermediate School Student Wins National Kindness Essay Contest

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Earlier this year, Neel Sood, who was completing his 5th grade year at Hillside Intermediate School at the time, won first place in the country in the 2025 BE KIND Make a Difference National Essay Contest in the 3rd-5th grade category.

The essay contest prompted students to highlight how they could use the 10 skills of kindness including being encouraging, supportive, and positive to make a positive impact in their communities.

In his winning essay, Neel discussed how small acts of kindness can make a big impact. His “Hearts of Kindness Project,” which he founded to spread kindness and positivity helped foster a culture of kindness at his school.

He also led an initiative with his brother, Sameer Sood, to spread cheer to local nursing home residents.

"I believe that no one is too young to make a difference in their school and community through kindness," Neel shared. "A kind word or gesture can change someone’s entire day for the better."

The national judges were incredibly impressed by Neel’s creativity and remarked that his leadership and commitment to kindness truly stood out.

Comments from the judges shared with Neel included "Your creativity, leadership, and kindness shine through in every paragraph. The ‘Hearts of Kindness Project’ was especially powerful. Keep being a light in your community—you are a true example of the Be Kind Pledge!" and "This is an excellent example of how small acts of kindness can lead to big, positive changes in a community."

As first-place winner, Neel was awarded a grand prize of his choosing and a certificate to commemorate his achievement. A congratulatory video announcing his win was played to his language arts class, who received a pizza party to celebrate with Neel.

His teacher, Miss Kiran Masud, also received classroom materials and complimentary access to an online classroom with a kindness curriculum.

For more information about the contest, visit thebekindpeopleproject.org/essay-contest. For more information about the Hearts of Kindness Project, visit neelsood1000.wixsite.com/kindness.

— Submitted by Supriya Sood